Browsing by Author "Osuala, Ogechi Mercy"

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    Perception of climate change and adaptation strategies of livestock and crop farmers in Imo State, Nigeria
    (Federal University of Technology, Owerri, 2015-11) Osuala, Ogechi Mercy
    This study analyzed the perception of climate change and adaptation strategies of livestock and crop farmers in Imo State. The specific objectives of the study included to; identify the socioeconomic characteristics of livestock and crop farmers, identify the various forms of climate change conditions perceived by livestock and crop farmers, determine the perceived effects of climate change on livestock and crop farmers, identify the various adaptations and coping strategies adopted by livestock and crop farmers, and determine the factors that influence the adaptation measures to perceived climate change adopted by the livestock and crop farmers. Hypotheses tested were; there was no significant difference in the net returns of livestock and crop farmers in the study area; crop farmers socioeconomic characteristics did not significantly affect their uptake of adaptation to climate change; and livestock farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics did not significantly affect their uptake of adaptation measures to climate change. Data were collected with structured questionnaire from 72 and 120 proportionately livestock and crop farmers, respectively, from Imo State. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logit model. Mean farm size was 890 birds, 11 goats and 0.91 hectares for poultry, goat and crop farmers, respectively. Most (69.4%) of the livestock farmers and majority (89.2%) of the crop farmers reported that their perceived form of climate change was high temperature/heat. Most (74.2%) of the crop farmers perceived the effect of climate change as poor soil fertility, while most (73.6%) of the livestock farmers indicated reduced productivity as the perceived effect of climate change. Planting improved crop varieties and intensive management system were adopted by most of the crop and livestock farmers, respectively, as adaptation measures to climate change. Factors that influence the adaptation measures to climate change by livestock farmers were age, gender, level of education, farmers’ experience, and farm income, while the factors that influenced change by crop farmers were gender, access to credit, crop mixture, and level of education. Hypotheses one and two were rejected with respect to the significant socioeconomic variables and accepted as regards the non-significant socioeconomic variables of the crop and livestock farmers. Climate in Imo State is really changing and affecting crop and livestock farmers negatively in their production activities which they have tried to cushion through various adaptation strategies. There is therefore, need to encourage the farmers to adapt to climate change through enlightenment campaigns which may be organized by the government through the mass media, print media or the churches and other public functions.