Assessment of Famers` Adaptation Strategies of Climate Variability: Implication on Arable Crops Yield in Ogoja Agricultural Zone (Northern) Cross River State, Nigeria.

Abstract

The study assessed farmers’ adaptation strategies of climate variability and implication on arable crops yield in Ogoja agricultural zone. Data collection procedure adopted for this study was the used of structured questionnaire, interview and focal group discussion. Four hundred copies of questionnaires were administered and three hundred and eighty eight were retrieved. The result revealed that the following adaptation strategies indicated that changing crop types /improved varieties has 70.6 percent negative and 29.4 percent positive respondent, soil and water conservation with 76.3 percent negative and 37.4 percent positive, changing planting time 62.6 percent negative and 37.4 percent positive respondent, cropping mixture or mixed cropping 32.2 percent negative and 67.8 percent positive, supplementary irrigation 55.9 percent negative and 44.1 percent positive respondent, mulching 30.2 percent negative and 69.8 percent positive, planting distance 68.0 percent negative and 32.0 percent positive, regular weeding 69.3 percent negative and 30.7 percent positive, planting trees 30.9 percent negative and 69.1 percent positive respondent ,early planting season with 41.2 percent negative and 58.8 percent positive and late planting season recorded 61.9 percent negative and 38.1 percent positive respondent. Relevant recommendations were made which includes that government should provide access to credit facilities to farmers. Besides crops that have natural adjustment potentials to climate oscillation should be cultivated and promoted. Finally, sustainable indigenous crops species with high yield and low risk as well as environmental education should be adapted.

Keywords

• famers
• adaptation strategies
• climate variability
• arable