Determinants of climate change adaption measures among crop farmers in Limpopo Province of South Africa

Abstract

Agricultural production is the main source of livelihood and food security for crop farmers especially the rural communities in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. This sector contributes immensely to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country as a whole, however, it is grossly affected by the impacts of changes in climate. Farmers take several and different adaptation strategies at different levels to help them cope with these changes in climate. It is therefore of great importance to have proper knowledge about the determinant factors that influences adaptation measures taken by the farmers. The purpose of this study was to analyze the determinant factors of climate change adaptation strategies in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 156 crop farmers (avocado and tomato farmers) selected from 3 districts (Capricorn, Vhembe and Mopani) in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Structured interviews were scheduled with the farmers and questionnaires which contained both close-ended and open-ended questions were administered to the farmers. Proper explanation of what is entailed in the questionnaire was given to them and the questionnaires were filled with the help of the researcher for the purpose of the study to avoid deviating from answering the questions correctly. The data collected was analyzed with the use of descriptive statistical tools and inferential analysis. Binary logistic regression analysis used to identify factors influencing the farmer’s decision to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change. Cronbach alpha was also used to test the reliability and rigorousness of the data collected. The descriptive analysis revealed that a higher number of the participants are between the age of 46-55 years accounting for 29% of the total and are middle-aged people. Sixty-eight percent accounted for male participants, 32% as females. It also revealed that farming is the major occupation (73.7%) of the participants in the study area. Percentage of the farmers that were aware of climate change in their locality was 55.1% while 56.4% indicated that they received proper information on climate change in the study area. The findings also revealed that most of the farmers (70.5%) perceived that temperature has been on a significant increase over the years in their locality, 71.2% believed that rainfall intensity is also changing while 50.6% explained that drought has been on the increase in the recent times. The results of the Binary Logistic Regression analysis revealed that there is a significant relationship between source of income, educational level of the farmers, main occupation and climate change adaptation. These variables affected their decisions to take up adaptation measures. It also reveals the important adaptation strategies that the farmers have taken to help cope with changes in climate; multi-cropping (37.8%), use of different planting dates (41.7%), crop rotation (48.7%), use of soil conservation techniques (41%) and use of irrigation system (40.4%). It is therefore recommended that certain adaptation measures should be subsidized for farmers especially the important ones that were employed by the farmers at the farm-level such as irrigation system, soil conservation techniques to mention a few. Also, government should provide better ways by which farmers can gain access to improved climate information and provide adequate extension services.