Adaptation to Climate Change by Farmers in Makurdi, Nigeria

The increasing trend of climate change has led to growing concern on its impact on different sectors of the economy particularly on agriculture. Coping with the vulnerability and negative effects of climate change on agriculture requires mitigation at the policy level and adaptation at the farm level. However, the ability of farmers to adopt the various adaptation strategies may be constrained by a number of factors. Therefore, this study identified the climate adaptation strategies adopted by farmers in Makurdi, Nigeria and subsequently examined the determinants of farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change. The primary data used in this study were collected through structured questionnaires administered to 120 randomly selected farmers. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analyzing the data. Results shows that about 58% of the farmers adopted at least one of the following climate change adaptation strategies: cultivating diff type of crop, shortening growing season, changing extent of land put in crop production, use of irrigation as water source, use of chemical fertilizer, mulching, planting of cover crops, planting of resistant crop varieties, changing of planting dates, adoption of new techniques and use of drainage system. Logit regression was used to identify factors that influence the strategies employed by famers for adaptation to climate change. The result of the logit model showed that annual farm income, farming experience, knowledge of climate information, education and extension access variables are significant determinants of climate change adaptation strategies.
The study recommends the promulgation of policies to ensure that farmers have access to physical, human and social capital will enhance farmers’ ability to respond effectively to changing climate conditions.