Socio-Economic Analysis of Smallholder Farmers’ Resilience to Climate Change in Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Smallholder farmers play a crucial role in the nation’s agricultural food production and are generally the primary groups of people vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, continuing to suffer from the unpredictable weather patterns. The study analyzes the socio-economic characteristics of smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change in Jigawa state. A multistage sampling was used to collect data for the study. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and stochastic frontier production function. The results shows that most smallholder farmers are married and have some level of formal education most especially the adopters. These farmers believe climate change exist which tends to destroy farm and grazing lands. Loss of some crop varieties is the most perceived indicator of climate change. The stochastic frontier production function shows that farm size has a positive and significant value which suggests increasing cultivated land area significantly increases output. The use of improve seeds is positive and significant which shows that it increases production.  Adoption also is significant which shows that farmers that adopt climate resilient practices are more productive. The result for inefficiency model shows that gender and membership are negative and statistically significant which implies that these variables increase efficiency. Natural shock is negative which explains that repeated exposure can improve technical efficiency with increase support. The constraints faced by adopters and non-adopters are inadequate farm tools and in adequate capital while non-adopters face additional constraints like inadequate extension services and lack of credit facilities. The study recommends the expansion of interventions by stakeholders to cover the whole state.