Farmers Perceptions about Climate Change, Management Practice and Their On-Farm Adoption Strategies at Rice Fields in Sapu and Kuntaur of the Gambia, West Africa

Abstract

Lowland rice production is highly vulnerable to extreme temperature as a result of climate change. The study analyses farmer’s perception about climate change, management practice and their on-farm adoption strategies at the rice fields of Sapu and Kuntaur study location. The selected villages were the main rice production area, where rice is a monoculture crop. Focus group discussion was held with twenty rice growing farmers at Sapuand Kuntaur, and these were divided into five groups. Personal interview and key informant involves the two village head, two youth development chairpersons (VDC) and the extension worker overseeing both villages. This was done to gain in-depth knowledge on the subject matter. The analysis results indicated that more than 50% of the rice growing farmers were female and do not undergo formal education. More than 70% of them having perceived knowledge on the causes of climate change, inorganic fertilizer use, transplanting of rice seedlings, use of improved rice varieties, and on-farm coping strategies such as changing of cropping calendar and the use of pesticides to cope with current and future climate situation.