Crop Farmers’ Knowledge Level of Climate Change in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine crop farmers’ knowledge level of climate change in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State of Nigeria.               Multistage sampling technique was used in the selection of 70 respondents for the study. Interview schedule was adopted in the collection of information from the sampled respondents. Data collected were presented with frequency distribution and percentages while the inferential statistics used was logit analysis.                Age range of 74.2% of the respondents was between 41 years and 60 years and 87.1% of the farmers were married. Majority (55.7%) the respondents had no formal education while large percentage (97.1%) engaged in farming as their primary occupation. The farmers have diverse knowledge about effects of climate change therefore, farmers adopted different adaptation strategies like fertilizer application, cultivation of improved varieties and mulching to curb the various effects of climate on agricultural production. The knowledge level of 68.6% of the respondents was low while 31.4% of the farmers had high level of knowledge about climate change.               Logit regression result showed a positive relationship between farmers knowledge level of climate change and their age (t= 1.792), marital status (t= 1.956) and farming as primary occupation of the respondents (t=1.908). Study concludes that the farmers have low knowledge of climate change. Recommendations were made that training be provided for the farmers and that governmental organization especially the Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and non-governmental organization should actively be involved in sensitizing farmers about issues on climate change. Also farmers’ organizations should help in providing first class information about climatic changes to farmers.

Key words: Knowledge, Farmers, Climate Change