DETERMINANTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES OF. YAM PRODUCERS IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The associated impacts of climate change affects availability of soil water, plant growth and productivity. Thus, understanding farmers' response and the factors influencing adaptation measures used will help in designing more appropriate coping strategies to the effect of climate change which was why this study was undertaken. Data for the study were obtained from primary source with the aid of structured questionnaire administered to 120 yam farmers from across Shiroro, Lapai and Wushishi LGAs in Niger State. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate probit regression model. The results indicate that crop rotation, early planting of yam and mixed cropping were the most important adaptation measure used by the respondents with a mean adaptive capacity of 0.60. The most important variables affecting the choice of adaptation strategies are age, gender, household size, major occupation, farm size, educational level, farming experience, method ofland ownership, farm income, membership of cooperatives/association, extension contact, access to climate change information, amount of credit access and farmers perception of climate change while it was found that some of the adaptation strategies were complementary and others were substitutive. It is recommended that continuous education and effective advisory services aimed at empowering the farmers and enhancing their capacity to choose appropriate climate change adaptation measures be instituted.