scholarly journals Climate change adaptation strategies and production efficiency: The case of citrus farmers in the Limpopo province, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Joseph ◽  
Michael A. Antwi ◽  
Clarietta Chagwiza ◽  
Theresa T Rubhara
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Profit Efficiency ◽  
Resistant Varieties ◽  
Drought Resistant

Climate change adaptation policies and strategies have inevitably become an integral component of agricultural production on a global scale. The evaluative extent to which these adaptation techniques have influenced agricultural productivity is inherently exiguous. Citrus production in tropical regions such as South Africa, is more vulnerable to climate change as the region already experience hot and dry climate, hence the need to implement different strategies for climate change adaption in these regions. This study was designed to assess the effect of adopting the following climate change adaptation measures: planting drought resistant varieties, rainwater harvesting, planting early maturing varieties, integrated pest management (IPM) , changing fertiliser type, and applying drip irrigation to manage climate challenges on the production efficiency of citrus farmers in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The stochastic frontier production function with Cobb Douglas production functional form was used to analyse the productivity of farmers’ vis-à-vis adopted climate change strategies. A survey was conducted and data were collected through a semi-structured questionnaire administered to respondents from 235 production units in the five district municipalities of Limpopo. The likelihood ratio tests for profit models showed that farmers were profit efficient considering the identified adaptation strategies. The variables that influenced profit efficiency was price of fertiliser (p 0.010) and water cost (p 0.010). The inefficiency model showed that besides changing fertiliser as an adaptation measure, the other adaptation strategies including IPM, water harvesting and planting drought resistant varieties did not change the profit efficiency of farmers. Therefore, the results indicate that citrus farmers can still adapt to climate change and remain profit efficient.

scholarly journals Ongoing climate crises and obstacles to adaptation: Observations from the Ditsobotla Local Municipality, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anica Pienaar ◽  
Christo Coetzee ◽  
Livhuwani Nemakonde
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
North West ◽  
Local Municipality ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

Adaptation is a key component for fostering resilience amongst farmers as they are exposed to the challenges caused by climate change. However, the implementation of adaptation strategies is not equal or easy for most farming communities and are influenced by a diverse range of socio-economic constraints. In this context, the study intended to explore the factors constraining the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies amongst commercial and subsistence farmers of the Local Municipality in the North West province, South Africa. An exploratory sequential mixed method design was used, allowing the utilisation of both qualitative and quantitative methods in a single study. A total of 50 farmers (25 farmers from each group) were identified through purposive homogeneous sampling and were given a questionnaire consisting of semi-structured and structured questions. The study established that some of the most prominent factors constraining adaptation amongst farmers in the Local Municipality are related to their physical environment, lack of market access, financial constraints and limited access to established social networks (such as farmers associations). Identifying barriers to adaptation through area-specific research or studies, such as this particular study, is crucial for the development of holistic climate change adaptation strategies that will allow sustainability in diverse agricultural systems.

Assessing Rural Communities Concerns for Improved Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in Northern Ghana

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 529-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhajyoti Samaddar ◽  
◽  
Muneta Yokomatsu ◽  
Togbiga Dzivenu ◽  
Martin Oteng-Ababio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Rainwater Harvesting ◽  
Weather Forecasting ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

Northern Ghana is becoming vulnerable to risks induced by climate change. There is an urgent need to improve communities’ ability to cope by implementing risk-preventive measures at the household and community levels. However, studies have shown that the existing risk communication system often fails to encourage the people to implement risk-preventive measures because community concerns are not seriously taken in the adaptation planning and management process. The present study systematically examines community concerns about existing risks and possible adaptation strategies by conducting group meetings in four rural communities in the Wa West District. Results show that local communities consider drought or water scarcity to be the most severe risk from climate change because it is directly affecting their livelihood, which ismainly rain-fed subsistence agriculture. As their livelihood is increasingly affected by drought, the local communities are becoming more exposed to floods and other natural calamities. Presently, the climate change adaptation strategies of the local communities are weak and ineffective. It is found that improved irrigation facilitated by rainwater harvesting, watershed management, and seasonal weather forecasting are the preferred adaption strategies. Though a high level of intention to adopt non-structural preventive measures is observed, local communities report that a lack of knowledge and insufficient financial resources aremajor impediments to their implementation.

scholarly journals Smallholder farmer’s perceived effects of climate change on crop production and household livelihoods in rural Limpopo province, South Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nomcebo R. Ubisi ◽  
Paramu L. Mafongoya ◽  
Unathi Kolanisi ◽  
Obert Jiri
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Crop Failure ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
Household Livelihoods ◽  
The Government

AbstractThis study investigated the perceived effects of climate change on crop production and household livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Mopani and Vhembe district, South Africa. Data was collected through a questionnaire administered to 150 smallholder farmers. The questionnaires were complemented by 8 focus group discussions and secondary data. Multinomial logit regression model was used to analyse the factors influencing smallholder farmers’ choice of climate change adaptation strategies. The study findings revealed that subsistence farmers perceived prolonged droughts (56.4%) as the main shock stressing crop production. Droughts often lead to low crop yield and high crop failure (73.3%). In response to the prevailing climatic conditions different gender adopted different strategies, 41% of female farmers adapted by changing planting dates, while male farmers employed crop variety and diversification (35%) and mixed cropping (15%). The smallholder farmers were vulnerable with limited adaptive capacity to withstand climate change due to compromised social, human, physical, natural and financial assets. The results showed that smallholder farmers tend to adapt better when they have access to extension officers (P<0.01). Therefore, it is important for the government to strengthen the relationship between smallholder farmers and extension officers for better climate change adaptation.

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