Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adaptation Strategies of Tomato Producers’ to Climate Change in North West, Nigeria

Abstract

This work evaluated socio-economic factors influencing adaptability strategy of tomato producers to climate change in North West, Nigeria. Primary data utilized were based on well-designed questionnaire distributed to 100 tomato producers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics adaptability strategy use index, multinomial Logit model, and principal component model. The outcome shows that the average age of tomato producers approximates 44 years. They are literate with an average of 12 years of school education. About 51% of tomato producers had access to credit, and they are smallholder farmers with average of 0.81 hectares of farm land. The major climate change adaptation strategies used by tomato producers and their corresponding indexes include planting of heat and drought tolerant crop (0.9704), use of improved seeds (0.9675), mulching (0.8976), soil and water conservation technique (0.8312), and use of organic manure (0.7917). The significant predictors influencing the choice of low climate change adaptation strategy users include years of school education, age, experience in tomato farming, and income earned from tomato farming. The significant predictors influencing high climate change adaptation strategy users include years of school education, and income earned from tomato farming. The major challenges faced by tomato producers and their corresponding Eigen values include a lack of improved seeds (8.6935), lack of technology (5.93660, lack of processing and storage facilities (3.9274), and lack of capacity building for producers (3.5173). Improved seeds, irrigation facilities, and farm technologies should be made available to tomato producers to combat threats of climate variability and increase productivity.