Cocoa production is highly sensitive to changes in climate which are recently affecting cocoa yield in Nigeria. Adaptation is the best option to reduce these negative impacts and farmers' ability to perceive climate change is a key precondition for their choice to adapt. This study adopted a multi-stage random sampling and data were collected using structured questionnaires. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression. Results show that 35.8% of respondents observed extremely high temperature, 24.2% noticed extremely low temperature and 85.2% of the farmers noticed too much rainfall. Re-spray of cocoa and regular cocoa spraying were mostly used to cope with climate change (50.53%). Adaptation significantly increased (p<0.05) with household size, farmer awareness of climate change and access to information through radio. Efforts at reducing the impacts of climate change on cocoa production should focus on communicating climate change-related information to farmers through several media.
Ogunsola, GO; Oyekale, AS
Determinants of smallholder cocoa farmers' adaptation to climate change in Ile-oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, Nigeria
Asia Life Sciences