Climate Change and Vegetable Farming in Anambra State: Risks and Resilience

Abstract

Systems for producing vegetables are seriously threatened by climate change, especially in areas where agriculture is a vital source of income. The purpose of this study was to assess farmers' adaptation tactics and examine how climate change is affecting vegetable production in Anambra State, Nigeria. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather primary data from 128 vegetable farmers in four villages that produce bitter and fragrant leaves. To address the study's goals, a 4-point Likert scale, Ordinary Least square regression analysis, and descriptive statistics were used. The results showed that the majority of farmers in the study area were married women with one to ten years of farming experience and a secondary degree. The annual income of vegetable producers was greatly impacted by socioeconomic factors, including the area of the cropland and educational attainment. Unsuitable soil conditions, poorer farm revenues, decreased yields, and water scarcity were among the negative effects of climate change that were thought to exist. Zero or minimal tillage, less fertilizer, organic manure application, better irrigation systems, controlled bush burning, ridge construction, mechanical insect control, and vegetable processing were among the adaptation techniques farmers used. The study underlines the need for focused interventions to improve farmers' adaptation capacity and guarantee the sustainability of this vital industry while highlighting the susceptibility of vegetable production systems to the effects of climate change.