Effects of Climate Change on Cowpea Production among Small Scale Farmers in Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

This work evaluates the effects of climate change on cowpea production among small-scale farmers in this regard Katagum Local Government Area of Bauchi state, Nigeria. The study had (4) research objectives and (4) research questions raised from the objectives. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select respondents from the study area using five (5) districts as sample size; Madara, Buskuri, Madangala, Azare, Bulkachuwa. The method used in the collection of the data was questionnaire and a random sampling technique was used in the collection of target sample size from the population of the study, Simple descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Results from the findings indicate that perceived causes of climate change include high rate of bush burning, urbanization and industrialization as well as deforestation. Furthermore, the effects of climate change in the study area include unusual high rate of rainfall, shortage of rainfall and severe drought. Climate change mitigating measures used by the farmers include avoidance of indiscriminate bush burning, use of improved varieties adaptable to extreme conditions and use of high yielding and disease-tolerant crop breed. The study concluded that climate change has significant effects on cowpea production. Finally, the researchers recommends that; farmers should be encourage by extension workers to adopt diverse mitigating strategies to curb the effect of climate change, there is also need for the development of a comprehensive agricultural and climate change policy that takes into account the risks associated with cowpea yield among farmers and effort should be made by government at all levels towards capacity building of the farmers through improved education, extension visits, increased farm size, increased in income, improved access to credit and land ownership.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Title Pagei

Declarationii

Certificationiii

Dedicationiv

Acknowledgementv

Table of Contentvi

Abstractx

List of Tables

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1Background to the Study1

1.2Statement of the Problem5

1.3Research Questions6

1.4Objectives of the Study6

1.5Significance of the Study7

1.6Scope and Limitation of the Study7

1.7Definition of Terms8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0Concept of climate change10

2.1Socio-economic Characteristics of Cowpea Farmers13

2.2Causes of Climate Change15

2.3Effects of Climate Change on Cowpea Production18

2.4Strategies for Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change on Cowpea production21

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.0Research methodology24

3.1Description of the Study Area24

3.1.1Agriculture25

3.1.2Cowpea Cultivation in Katagum25

3.2Population of the Study26

3.3Sampling Procedure and Sample Size26

3.4Instrument for Data Collection28

3.4.1Data Collection28

3.4.2Validation of the instrument28

3.5Data Collection Procedures29

3.6Data Analysis29

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

4.0Introduction30

4.1Socio-economic characteristics of cowpea farmers30

4.1.1Sex of respondents30

4.1.2Age of respondents31

4.1.3Marital status of respondents32

4.1.4Educational qualification of respondents32

4.1.5Years of farming experience of respondents33

4.1.6Household size of respondents34

4.1.7Farm size of respondents35

4.1.8Income of respondents36

4.2Causes of climate change37

4.3Effects of climate change 40

4.4Mitigating measures used by the farmers42

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1Summary44

5.2Conclusion45

5.3Recommendations45

5.4Suggestions for further Research Studies46

REFERENCES

APPENDIX: Interview schedule for cowpea farmers

 

List of Tables

TableTitlePage

Table 1: Sample Distribution of Respondents 27

Table 2: Distribution of respondents by sex30

Table 3: Distribution of respondents by age 31

Table 4: Distribution of respondents by marital status32

Table 5: Distribution of respondents by educational qualification33

Table 6: Distribution of respondents by years of faming experience 34

Table 7: Distribution of respondents by household size35

Table 8: Distribution of respondents by farm size36

Table 9: Distribution of respondents by level of income37

Table 10: Perceived causes of climate change 39

Table 11: Effect of climate change on cowpea41

Table 12: Mitigating measures used by the farmers43