EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES ON CASSAVAPRODUCTION IN SOUTHWEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

Evidences from literature and past studies have revealed that climate change has influenced agricultural productivity leading to declining global food production. The study was to examine the effect of climate change adaptation strategies on cassava production in Southwest, Nigeria where two different agro-ecological zones (AEZ) (rain forest and savannah) were chosen for the study. The study used multi-stage sampling procedures, with the aid of well-structured questionnaire, to select 150 cassava producers from each AEZ, making a total of 300 cassava producers for the study. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, cost-benefit analysis, multinomial logit model and stochastic frontier production function. From the study, it was revealed that cassava farmers in the study area were relatively young, fairly educated, mostly married, well experienced, adequately aware of climate change, but operated on a small scale. Result from vulnerability assessment of the cassava farmers showed that cassava farmers in rain forest AEZ (0.197) were more vulnerable to climate variability and extremes weather events than in the savannah AEZ (0.016). The most commonly practiced climate adaptation strategies were; the use of improved varieties, multiple planting dates, increasing farm size, mulching, farm plot fragmentation and crop diversification. Factors influencing the choice of these climate adaptation strategies were; sex, age, farm income, years spent in school, labour availability, amount of credit obtained, intensity of rainfall and temperature. Results from the costs and returns analysis revealed that crop diversification generated the highest gross margins of ₦472,924 per hectare and ₦377,000 per hectarein rain forest and savannah AEZs respectively among the cassava farmers that practiced only one adaptation strategy. Also, cassava farmers who practiced combination of adaptation strategies in both AEZs revealed that cassava farmers who used at least five adaptation strategies had the highest gross margins of ₦507,478.5 and ₦332,060in rain forest and savannah AEZs respectively. Result on the influence of climate adaptation strategies on technical efficiency of cassava production in both rain forest and savannah AEZs in the study area revealed that technical inefficiency effects existed in cassava production as confirmed by the gamma values of 0.687 and 0.639 in rain forest and savannah respectively. The study therefore recommended that farmers, via extension agents, should be encouraged to practice multiple adaptation strategies because the resulting crop enterprise yield high profit per hectare; and that government should create opportunities for non- farm income sources as this helps them to engage in those activities that are less sensitive to climate change.