Abstract
Rice production in Nigeria is vulnerable to climate risks and rice farmers over time have experienced the risks and their respective impacts on rice farming. Rice farmers have also responded to perceived climate risks with strategies believed to be climate-smart. Farmers’ perception of climate risks is an important first step of determining any action to be taken to counteract the negative effects of climate change on agriculture. Studies on the link between perceived climate risks and farmers’ response strategies are increasing. However, there are limited studies on the determinants of rice farmers’ perception of climate events. The paper therefore examined climate change perception and uptake of climate-smart agriculture in rice production in Ebonyi State, Nigeria using cross-sectional data from 347 rice farmers in an important rice-producing area in Nigeria. Principal component analysis, multivariate probit regression model and descriptive statistics were adopted for data analysis. Perceived climate events include increased rainfall intensity, prolonged dry seasons, frequent floods, rising temperature, severe windstorms, unpredictable rainfall pattern and distribution, late onset rain, and early cessation of rain. Farmers’ socioeconomic, farm and institutional characteristics influenced their perception of climate change. Additionally, rice farmers used a variety of climate-smart practices and technologies to respond to the perceived climate events. Such climate-smart practices include planting improved rice varieties, insurance, planting different crops, livelihood diversification, soil and water conservation techniques, adjusting planting and harvesting dates, irrigation, reliance on climate information and forecasts, planting on the nursery, appropriate application of fertilizer and efficient and effective use of pesticides. These climate-smart agricultural measures were further delineated into five broad packages using principal component analysis. These packages include crop and land management practices, climate-based services and irrigation, livelihood diversification and soil fertility management, efficient and effective use of pesticide and planting on the nursery. High fertilizer costs, lack of access to inputs, insufficient land, insufficient capital, pests and diseases, floods, scorching sun, high labour cost, insufficient climate information, and poor extension services were the barriers to uptake of climate-smart agriculture in rice production. Rice farmers should be supported to implement climate-smart agriculture in rice production in order to achieve the objectives of increased rice productivity and income, food security, climate resilience and mitigation.
Highlights
As the climate changes, it affects different aspects of the environment
This makes the study of climate-smart agriculture in rice production in important rice-producing ecologies in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Ebonyi State, very important
Mean age of the farmers was 46 years. This implies that rice farmers in the area were young and in their prime age which avails them more opportunity to access climate information regarding the rice farming business
Summary
It affects different aspects of the environment. Droughts, strong windstorms, floods, unpredictable rainfall volume, rising temperatures, late and early rain start, and other negative effects of climate change witnessed in previous years are becoming more common presently [1]. One important mitigation measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Nigeria is the adoption of climate-smart agriculture especially in rice production [24]. This makes the study of climate-smart agriculture in rice production in important rice-producing ecologies in sub-Saharan Africa, such as Ebonyi State, very important. Responses that sustainably and simultaneously reduce the impacts of climate change on rice production, increase rice productivity and reduce/avoid/remove above and below ground carbon emissions are needed Such responses are known as climate-smart agricultural practices, technologies or services and they are location and context-specific [26,27,28,29].
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