Assessment of Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Flood Related Losses in Zone One Area of Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assesses farmers’ adaptation strategies to flood related losses in zone one area of Ekiti State, Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique was adopted in the selection of 147 crop farmers. Data obtained were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics tool used was the Poisson regression model. The results indicated that crop farmers in the study area have the average age of 43years, dominated by males and were married. Majority about 79.7% of the crop farmers were educated in formal institutions and have a mean household size of 5 people. Also the respondents had the mean of 18years of farming experience and 59.9% owned their land with the mean of 1.4 hectares of land. The study revealed that respondents strongly perceived flood effects of loss in farm produce, loss in quality of yield, loss of farm infrastructure, causes soil degradation, pest challenges. The study findings show that common adaptation strategies adopted by the crop farmers include change in planting date, crop rotation, mixed cropping, planting of cover crops and mulching. Furthermore, the Poisson regression result of the determinants of adaptation strategies to flood showed that age, level of education, farming experience, extension visit, credit, compatibility and cost of practice were statistically significant in making decisions. However, the major severe constraints perceived by the respondents include: poor access to adaptation strategies information, high cost of improved crop varieties, lack of access to weather forecast technology by crop farmers and government irresponsiveness to risk management. Therefore, it was recommended that Extension agencies should provide adequate information on various adaptation strategies to farmers, which was one of the major constraints they face, relevant stakeholders and concerned organization should provide farmers with weather forecast technology, financial institutions should make access to credit facilities to farmers to enable them adopt adaptation strategies.