ADAPTATION STRATEGIES TO CLIMATE CHANGE, CHALLENGES AND THE BENEFITS DERIVED AMONG THE RURAL FARMERS IN ONDO STATE, SOUTH-WEST-NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the strategies adopted by Akoko rural farmers against climate change, challenges and benefits derived. The research design for this study was cross-sectional. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to delineate the study area into strata from where four communities were systematically selected, followed by a random selection of 400 respondents. A structured questionnaire and in-depth interview guide were utilised to elicit both qualitative and quantitative data. Accordingly, twenty in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted. The data from the questionnaire were analysed statistically and presented in a descriptive manner, while the IDIs were analysed using content analysis. The findings revealed that farmers resorted to practices such as use of cover crops (96%), bush fallow (89.1%), prompt weeding of the farm (88.8%), changing in the timing of land preparation (86.3%), control of weed as a measure for managing the risk of damage by wild fire (77.9%). The challenges faced were: scarcity of land due to removal of plantation in climate change prone area (64.2%), and increase in number of weeding period (57.6%). The benefits derived were: reduction in incident of rotten seedlings (74.9%), increase in farm-yield (91.1%), reduction in the incident of fire outbreak on farmlands (68.2%). The study recommends that government should ensure that farmers have access to land to increase their ability and flexibility to change production strategies; and that there should be enough climate change related information from government towards guiding the farmers in their farming activities.