Factors Influencing Farmer’s Choice of Adaptation Measures to Climate Change among Smallholder Arable Farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Adaptation has the potential to significantly contribute to reductions in negative impacts from changes in climatic conditions. The study investigated the factors influencing farmer's choice of adaptation measures to climate change among smallholder arable farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. Multistage random sampling technique was used to select one hundred and sixty (160), respondents. Data collected from the study were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logit regression and constraints encounter index. The result obtained from the analyses showed that average age of smallholder arable farmers in the study area was 46 years with a majority (72.5%) being male. On the level of education of the farmer, about (18.1%) of the farmers had no formal education while majority (81.9%) had various forms of formal education. 34.4% of the respondents were within 11-20 years of farming experience with large household size 11 above member representing 45.0%. Logit regression model results reveal that major socio-economic factors of arable farmers influencing farmer's choice of various adaptation measures include age, educational status, gender, marital status, household size, farming experience, farm size, the fertility of the soil, membership of cooperative/farmers group, extension visit and access to credit. Constraints encounter index revealed that major constraint encountered include lack of information on climate change, lack of technology necessary for adaptation, lack of necessary inputs, lack of climate forecasting technology, limited knowledge on adaptation to climate issues, poor financial resource, lack of government policy on climate change, poor potential for irrigation, difficulty in shifting from cropping patterns in short duration, and lack of infrastructure. This study concludes that various socio-economic and personal attributes had strong impacts on arable farmer's choice of adapting to different adaptation measures available in the study area. Government should place priority on determining factors of adaptation and barriers to adaptation measure into climate change-related policies.