Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Measures on Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Productivity: Insight from Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region of Ghana

Abstract

It is imperative to assess impact of climate change adaptation measures on smallholder farmers’ crop productivity for increased household food security and income. The title of the study is “Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Measures on Smallholder Farmers’ Crop Productivity: Insight from the Kassena Nankana West District”. The major objective of the study was to assess the impact of climate change adaptation measures on crop productivity of smallholder farmers in the district. The study employed mixed methods of quantitative and qualitative approaches to select and interview the respondent farmers. About 52 percent of the farmers had moderate knowledge or understanding of climate change and its attendant impact on their livelihoods. Chi square test revealed that there was an association between six climate adaptation measures and some crops per the data gathered from the field. The association between the farmers’ climate adaptation measures and the crops showed a significant difference at 5 percent and 10 percent. The major farmer practices or adaptation measures having significant associations with the crops include shifting planting dates, agroforestry, hired labour, crop diversification, cover cropping, and mulching. Majority of the smallholder farmers had mean production figures of less than 0.5 metric tonnes per hectare for maize, rice, groundnut, cowpea, and sorghum. Most smallholder farmers engaged in off-farm employment to complement their household incomes. Majority of the farmers had between GHȼ 1,001.00 to GHȼ 2,000.00 as their average annual income in the district. The study recommends that government through the Department of Agriculture to take its leadership role and collaborate effectively with the civic and private institutions to impart proven climate adaptation practices to smallholder farmers. Agro-ecology specific climate adaptation practices should be developed for smallholder farmers to use to improve upon their crop yields and household incomes in the district.