Assessing Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions to Climatic Factors Affecting Maize Yield. Case Study of Nangoma Agricultural Camp, Mumbwa District

Master's Thesis , 69 Pages

Agrarian Studies

This research was done in Nangoma Agricultural Camp in Mumbwa district of Central Zambia on farmers’ perceptions of climatic factors affecting maize yield. Maize is the most common cereal (85%) cultivated in Nangoma Agricultural Camp. However, smallholder maize farmers have been perceiving its yield to be going down from 1990s to date; 70.59% from 1990-2000, 27.45% from 2001-2011, and 17.65% from 2012-2022. Such a farmers’ perception on a downward spiral of maize yield is attributed to their perceived negative impacts of climatic factors like increased temperature (87.25%) and variations in rainfall i.e., late onset 94.12%, early cessation 87.25%), and localized rainfall (67.65%) by smallholder maize farmers in the study area.

The overall goal of the study was to investigate perceptions of smallholder maize farmers on climatic factors effecting maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp. The specific objectives were: Assessing smallholder maize farmers’ knowledge about climate change in Nangoma Agricultural Camp, investigating farmers’ perceptions on rainfall pattern seasonally in the study area, investigating farmers’ opinions on trends of maize yield in the study area, identifying climatic challenges associated with maize yields among smallholder maize famers in the study area, and investigating mitigation and adaptation strategies in maize farming among the smallholder maize farmers in the study area.

The research design for achieving the above objectives were both quantitative and qualitative research methods; a survey, 3 Focus Group Discussion (FGDs), and 6 Key informants or In-depth interviews. Experts from Zambia Meteorological Department, Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU), extension officers from the Ministry of Agriculture working in Nangoma Agricultural Camp, Climate Change Network of Zambia (CCNZ), the media, and traditional leadership were purposefully identified for qualitative data.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• CHAPTER ONE
  • INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
  • 1.0 Introduction
  • 1.1 Background of the study
  • 1.1.1 Agriculture and climate change experience in Zambia
  • 1.2 Statement of the Problem
  • 1.3 Objectives
  • 1.3.1 General Objective
  • 1.3.2 Specific Objectives of the Study
  • 1.4 Significance of the study
  • 1.5 Scope and delimitation of the study
  • 1.6 Limitation of the study
• LITERATURE REVIEW
• CHAPTER THREE
  • RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
  • 3.0 Introduction
  • 3.2 Location of the study
  • 3.3 Sampling procedures
  • 3.4 Target population
  • 3.5 Sample Size
  • 3.6 Data Collection Techniques
  • 3.6.1 Questionnaires
  • 3.6.2 Review of Relevant Literature and Information
  • 3.6.3 Data analysis
  • 3.7 Ethical Considerations
• CHAPTER 4
  • PRESENTATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS
  • 4.0 Demography of the respondents
  • 4.1 Smallholder maize farmers' knowledge about climate change in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.1.1 Perceptions on climatic factors
  • 4.1.2 Perception of rainfall trends
  • 4.1.3 Perception on temperature trends
  • 4.1.4 Perceptions on weather risks (Floods, winds, droughts and dry spells)
  • 4.2 Perceptions on trends of maize yield
  • 4.3 Challenges associated with maize yield among smallholders maize farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.4 Strategies used by smallholder maize farmers on adaptation and mitigation to climatic factors in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.5 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS (FGDs)
  • 4.5.1 FGDs on knowledge about climate change in Nangoma Agricultural Camp in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.5.2 FGDs on perception of seasonal rainfall pattern in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.5.3 FGDs on challenges associated with maize yield among smallholder maize farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.5.4 FGD on mitigation and adaptation strategies used by smallholder farmers in maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.6 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS FROM KEY INFORMANT/IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS
  • 4.6.1 Key informants interviews on smallholder maize farmer's knowledge about climate change in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.6.2 Key informants interviews on rainfall pattern in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.6.3 Key informants interviews on maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.6.4 Key informants interviews on challenges associated with maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 4.6.5 Key informants interviews on smallholder maize farmers' mitigation and adaptation strategies in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
• CHAPTER 5
  • DISCUSION OF FINDINGS
  • 5.0 DISCUSION OF FINDINGS FROM THE RESPONDENTS
  • 5.0.1 Demographics
  • 5.0.2 Smallholder maize farmers' knowledge about climate change in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.0.3 Respondents Perceptions on trends of maize yield from 1990-2022 in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.0.4 Respondents' perceptions on challenges associated with climatic factors facing maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.0.5 Respondents perceptions on smallholder maize farmers' mitigation and adaptation strategies in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.1 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS FROM FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS (FGDS)
  • 5.1.1 FGDS perceptions on knowledge about climate change conditions affecting maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.1.2 FGDs perceptions on seasonal rainfall pattern in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.1.3 FGDs perceptions on climatic challenges associated with maize yield in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.1.4 FGDS perceptions on mitigation and adaptation used by smallholder farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.2 KEY INFORMANT/IN-DEPTHE INTERVIEW
  • 5.2.1 Key Informants perceptions on climatic factors affecting maize yield among smallholder maize farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.2.2 Key Informants perceptions on rainfall pattern among smallholder maize farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.2.3 Key informants perceptions on maize yield among smallholder maize holders in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.2.4 Key informants perceptions on challenges associated with maize yield among smallholder maize farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp
  • 5.2.5 Key informants perceptions on adaptation and mitigation measures among smallholder maize farmers in Nangoma Agricultural Camp

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte

Diese Dissertation untersucht die Wahrnehmung von Kleinbauern in Bezug auf klimabedingte Faktoren, die den Maisanbau im Nangoma Agricultural Camp im Mumbwa District in Sambia beeinflussen. Ziel der Studie ist es, das Wissen der Kleinbauern über den Klimawandel, ihre Wahrnehmungen von Regen- und Temperaturtrends, die von ihnen wahrgenommenen Wetterrisiken sowie die Herausforderungen und Anpassungsstrategien in Bezug auf den Maisanbau zu verstehen.

• Wahrnehmung von Kleinbauern über den Klimawandel im Nangoma Agricultural Camp
• Analyse von Regen- und Temperaturtrends aus der Sicht der Kleinbauern
• Herausforderungen für den Maisanbau im Zusammenhang mit klimatischen Faktoren
• Anpassungs- und Minderungsstrategien der Kleinbauern
• Die Rolle der Kleinbauern beim Umgang mit dem Klimawandel und der Ernährungssicherheit in Sambia

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel

• Kapitel 1 bietet eine Einleitung zur Studie und beleuchtet den Hintergrund des Klimawandels in Sambia und die Auswirkungen auf den landwirtschaftlichen Sektor.
• Kapitel 2 befasst sich mit den Maisernten und den klimatischen Faktoren, die sie weltweit, in Afrika und in Sambia beeinflussen.
• Kapitel 3 beschreibt die angewandte Forschungsmethodik, einschließlich der Studiengebiets, der Stichprobenverfahren, der Datenerhebungstechniken und der ethischen Aspekte der Forschung.
• Kapitel 4 präsentiert die Ergebnisse der Forschung, wobei die Demografie der Befragten, das Wissen der Kleinbauern über den Klimawandel, die Wahrnehmung von Regen- und Temperaturtrends, die Herausforderungen im Zusammenhang mit dem Maisanbau und die angewandten Anpassungsstrategien behandelt werden.
• Kapitel 5 befasst sich mit der Diskussion der Ergebnisse, die sowohl von den Befragten als auch aus Fokusgruppen- und Schlüsselinformanteninterviews gewonnen wurden. Es werden die Erkenntnisse in Bezug auf die Wahrnehmung von klimatischen Faktoren, den Maisanbau und die Anpassungsstrategien der Kleinbauern diskutiert.

Schlüsselwörter

Die Studie konzentriert sich auf die Themen Klimawandel, Maisanbau, kleinbäuerliche Landwirtschaft, Wahrnehmung, Anpassung, Minderung, Ernährungssicherheit, Sambia und Nangoma Agricultural Camp. Es werden sowohl qualitative als auch quantitative Forschungsmethoden eingesetzt, um die Erfahrungen und Perspektiven der Kleinbauern zu verstehen.

• Author: Lawrence Godfrey Kamanga (Author)
• Pages: 69
• Catalog Number: V1417531
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346970244
• ISBN (Book): 9783346970251
• Language: German
• Tags: assessing, smallholder, farmers’, perceptions, climatic, factors, affecting, maize, yield, case, study, nangoma, agricultural, camp, mumbwa, district