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This study is about climate change adaptation and small scale maize farming in Ifunda village. The problem under research is „effectiveness of climate change adaptation for small scale maize farming in Ifunda village.‟ The sampling techniques applied were simple random sampling for 85 household respondents and purposive sampling for 15 key informants. Data collection methods employed were survey using questionnaires for household respondents, interview using interview guides for key informants, and non-participatory observation using checklist.
The evidences of climate change occurrence in Ifunda village are rainfall decrease (54%), rain seasons change (33%), and temperature rise (13%). The impacts of climate change on maize farming in Ifunda village are decrease in yields (61%), outbreak of maize pests (25%), maize plants wilting (5%), and eruption of maize diseases (9%). The climate change adaptation strategies used by farmers in Ifunda village are early planting and maturing seeds (54%), relocation (20%), agroforestry (18%), and afforestation (8%). In support of the adaptation strategies used by Ifunda farmers in adapting to climate change, the government intercession is through field experts (46%) and farm inputs agents (54%).The climate change adaptation challenges facing farmers in Ifunda village are few field experts (20%), high inputs cost (27.1%), unpredictable rain seasons (30.6%), poor technology (4.7%) and little awareness (17.6%). Following the challenges facing them in adapting to climate change, farmers in Ifunda village proposed adaptation technology (5.9%), expertise elaboration (24.7%), farm inputs subsidy (28.2%), climate change information (30.6%), and climate change education (10.6%) as suggestions for improvement by the government towards climate change adaptation. |
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