Assessment of Socio-economic Characteristics and Availability of Climate-smart Agriculture (CSA) Technologies among Rice Farmers in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the socioeconomic characteristics and availability of Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies among rice farmers in Yobe State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 428 rice farmers across major rice-producing areas in Yobe State. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression. Variables considered included age, sex, marital status, education level, household size, farm size, years of farming experience, extension contact, access to credit, and income levels. The results revealed that the majority (82.7%) of rice farmers were male, with 86.9% married. About 31.3% attained primary education, and 43.9% had household sizes between 6–10 members. Farm sizes ranged mostly between 1–2 hectares (40.7%), and 33.4% had 6–10 years of farming experience. However, only 44.2% had regular extension contact, and 38.3% accessed agricultural credit, showing institutional support gaps. The most available CSA technologies were drought-resistant rice varieties (35%), organic manure use (28%), and efficient water-use practices (25%), while agroforestry and soil mulching were less common. Regression analysis showed that education, extension contact and access to credit significantly influenced access to CSA technologies (p < 0.001). Farmers with tertiary education and larger farm sizes were more likely to adopt multiple CSA technologies. The study concludes that although CSA technologies are gradually diffusing among rice farmers in Yobe State, institutional, financial, and awareness barriers hinder widespread adoption. It is thus, recommended that the government and NGOs strengthen extension services, facilitate access to affordable credit, and promote tailored CSA innovations. Training programs should also be designed to target less-educated and smallholder farmers to ensure inclusive adoption. These findings provide a baseline for policymakers to design location-specific interventions that will enhance the adaptive capacity of rice farmers in arid zones of Nigeria.