THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY OF FARMERS: A CASE STUDY OF EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of climate change on the economic productivity of farmers in Egor local government area of Edo state. The study adopted the survey research design and was guided by five research questions. The population of the study comprised 200 rural farmers in Egor Local Government Area of Edo state. The instrument for data collection was a self-designed structured questionnaire divided into two sections of A and B which cover the demographic information of the respondents and research items respectively of a four-point likert scale of SA, A, SD, D. The Simple percentage and frequency distribution was used to analyze data related to the research questions. The results showed that the perception of rural farmers towards climate change in Egor local government area of Edo state was relatively low and discouraging. On the basis of the foregoing, the study recommended, among others, that more support mechanisms be made to assist farmers in adapting to climate change awareness and challenges involving assessing the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of existing policies and programmes. That would enable future researcher to examine the extent to which these interventions address the diverse needs and vulnerabilities of farmers in the face of changing climatic conditions, as well as their impact on agricultural productivity as this will raise the awareness level of rural farmers and motivate them on the issue of climate change.