ADAPTIVE CAPACITIES OF FARMERS TO CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON RICE PRODUCTION IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Franklin Nantui Mabe,Daniel Bruce Sarpong,Yaw Osei-Asare

doi:10.18551/rjoas.2012-11.02

Franklin Nantui Mabe, Daniel Bruce Sarpong + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.18551/rjoas.2012-11.02

Copy DOI

Abstract

This study estimated the adaptive capacities of farmers to climate change adaptation strategies and their effects on rice production in the Northern Region of Ghana. The adaptive capacities of rice farmers were estimated quantitatively and categorized into high, moderate and low adaptive capacities. Double logarithmic regression model of Cobb-Douglas production function was used to quantity the effects of adaptive capacities of farmers on rice production. On the average, the farmers interviewed are moderately adaptive to climate change. Also, high adaptive farmers obtain nine more bags of 50 kg bag of paddy rice than farmers with low adaptive capacities. Therefore, the more a farmer has the ability to adjust to climate change, the more the number of bags of rice he or she obtains. Rice farmers should be empowered through better extension services in order to attain high adaptive capacity status so as to help them obtain more rice output.

Highlights

The lives of the entire global community are increasingly threatened by the effects of the current climatic conditions
The degree of adaptive capacities of rice farmers to the various adaptation strategies is presented in table 4
The respondents interviewed were highly adaptive to the use of chemical or organic fertilizers, mulch, farming on fallowed land, formal irrigation, farming near water bodies and the use of early maturing rice varieties

Summary

Introduction

The lives of the entire global community are increasingly threatened by the effects of the current climatic conditions. A vulnerability assessment study conducted by Dazé (2007) for land resource in Ghana revealed the following coping strategies for climate change: mixed farming, drought tolerant crops or varieties, control of soil erosion, planting and conservation of trees, planting of early or late maturing varieties, chemical fertilizer usage, land use intensification, agricultural diversification, extension of farming into marginal lands, cropping in moist valley bottoms, integration of trees in crops, rearing of goats more than sheep and cattle, as goats are easier to feed, changing diet and emigration of people. The ability of a farmer to adopt an adaption strategy so as to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on agricultural production is called adaptive capacity. The degree of farmers’ adaptive capacities to adaptation strategies in coping with climate change in rice production in the study area is unknown. This is because it will help technocrats and policy makers design technical and evidence base policies to facilitate the ability of farmers in attaining the highest degree of adaptive capacities

Methods

Results

Conclusion