Impact of Climate Change on Maize Production and Adaptation Strategies in East Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

Climate change has tremendous impact on crop growth and productivity. This paper reviews effects of Climate change on maize yields, trends of maize production under the prevailing environmental condition, coping mechanisms to adapt climate change and the perception of farmers towards climate change. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 166 sample respondents randomly selected from designated locations in East Shewa Zone. A stochastic production frontier function was fitted to the sample households. As the study result revealed that, 95.78% of farmers perceive climate change availability within the last ten years of crop production. In the meantime 98.80 % of farmers perceive climate change have impact on maize production and productivity. About 72% of smallholder farmer though decline of maize yields was due to rainfall decline and temperature increased. The sum of the partial elasticity of all inputs was 1.17 for Maize indicates an increase in all inputs at the sample mean by one percent increase by 1.17% maize. The average maize yields before ten, five and current years were 54, 31 and 24 qt/ha respectively. Percentage change in maize yield due to climate change 0.06 whereas its coefficient of variability 0.24 in East Shoa Zone. The variable included in the model have been used in their logarithmic form in order to provide convenient interpretation (elasticity) and to reduce heterogeneity of the variables. The time trend (year) has been used as a proxy for technical change in maize production technology such as development of new variety and farm management practices which general increases maize yield overtime. The main growing season rainfall has negative but statistically insignificant effect on average maize yields. As the results of research analysis indicate that, the cumulative sum of farmer’s perception towards the impact of climate change were 1.9 which is below the mean suggesting farmers perceive climate change have negative impact. Adaptation to climate change requires cross‐disciplinary solutions that include the development of appropriate germplasm and mechanism to facilitate to farmers access to germplasm. In addition using drought - tolerant maize varieties, early mature variety, using compost and improving agronomic management and Crops other adaptation strategies to climate change variability. So the adaptation strategies to climate change in the zones were; the development and cultivation of more drought-tolerant maize varieties; the adjustment in the planting days of maize; the use of irrigation facilities in the cultivation of maize; farmers must engage in crop diversification and Improved agronomic management and Crops.

Keywords: Climate Change, Maize, Drought, Impact and Adaptation, East Shoa Zone

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/13-13-04

Publication date:August 31^st 2023