A Cross-Zonal Analysis of Farmers’ Climate Adaptation Strategies in West Bengal

Abstract

Climatic factors are an essential factor in the production of agricultural products. The present study was undertaken to analyze the farmers’ adaptation strategies for climate variability in three agro-climatic zones of West Bengal. Primary data from 150 farmers (50 from each zone) were collected to analyze the adaptation strategies. The study revealed that ‘Crop diversification’ was the most preferred adaptation strategy among the farmers, followed by ‘changing crop variety’ to mitigate climate vagaries. 43.33 per cent of farmers had a medium adoption of adaptation strategies, followed by 39.33, and 17.33 per cent had a high and low adoption. More experienced farmers and farmers with higher annual incomes are more likely to adopt an adaptation strategy. It is suggested that the government ensure farmers can access credit and subsidies. The government should also ensure that bank credit terms are flexible to maximize farmers’ access to affordable credit, enhancing their ability and flexibility to adjust agricultural practices in response to climate variability. Policies promoting climate adaptation should emphasize the need to provide information on better farming practices and climatic variability.