Farmers’ strategies for adapting to climate change in Ogbomoso agricultural zone of Oyo state

Abstract

The climate is changing and global mean temperatures have increased this is expected to have profound effects on food security. Long-term changes in climate will disproportionately affect tropical regions, meaning poor farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa will likely bear the brunt of adverse impacts. Adaptation plays an important role in reducing vulnerability to climate change and is therefore critical and of concern in developing countries, particularly in Africa where vulnerability is high because ability to adapt is low. This study examined farmers’ strategies for adapting to climate change in Ogbomoso agricultural zone of Oyo State of Nigeria. One hundred and fifty farmers were interviewed to obtain information from using a multistage sampling procedure. The results of the study showed that the types of climate change identified in the study area were delayed on-set of rainfall (38.0 percent), higher temperature (20.0 percent) and less rain (17.3 percent). The outcome of climate change were food shortage (41.3percent), decline in livestock yield (30.7 percent), decline in crop yield (28.7 percent) and death of livestock (16.0 percent). The identified actions taken to address climate change are growing a new crop (57.4 percent), adoption of drought tolerant/ resistance crop varieties (50.0 percent), diversification from crops to livestock production (40.7 percent) and using of new land management practices. The long-term improvement investments commonly adapted in the study area were tree planting/agroforestry, mulching/surface cover, improved fallowing and fallowing.The study concluded that household size, extension visits and non-farm income significantly impact on the various strategies used in adaptation to climate change.