scholarly journals Smallholder Farmers’ Responses to Rainfall Variability and Soil Fertility Problems by the Use of Indigenous Knowledge in Chipepo, Southern Zambia

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kabwe Harnadih Mubanga ◽  
Bridget Bwalya Umar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Indigenous Knowledge ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Fertility Problems

Managing soil fertility to adapt to rainfall variability in smallholder cropping systems in Zimbabwe

2013 ◽  
Vol 154 ◽  
pp. 211-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Rurinda ◽  
P. Mapfumo ◽  
M.T. van Wijk ◽  
F. Mtambanengwe ◽  
M.C. Rufino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Rainfall Variability

SMALLHOLDER FARMER’S LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATION AS A RESPONSE TO CHANGED CLIMATIC PATTERNS IN CHONGWE DISTRICT, ZAMBIA.

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Mbewe Jacqueline ◽  
Kabwe Harnadih Mubanga
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Rainfall Patterns ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Purpose: Climate change affects local and global rainfall patterns and hence has a counter effect on smallholder agriculture. Impacts of climate change on agriculture are largely due to rainfall variability resulting in reduced yields due to crop-water stress and emergency of pathogens and diseases. In Zambia, climate change has been manifested through increased intensity of droughts and floods. These rainfall anomalies adversely affect agriculture and food systems. In order to survive the impacts of climate change and variability, smallholder farmers in Chongwe have adopted their livelihoods and farming systems to the new climatic patterns.Methodology: This study assessed how smallholder farmers in Chongwe District have adopted their livelihoods as a response to changed climatic conditions. It also investigated the perceptions of smallholder farmers as regards changes in aspects of their climatic conditions. Data collection involved a critical review of literature related to climate change and agriculture, observations, semi- structured interviews with 60 smallholder farmers and eight key informants. The data were analysed using multiple analysis techniques which included the descriptive statistics, One-way analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and the post-hoc Least Square Difference for pairwise comparisons of incomes from different livelihoods engaged in by smallholder farmers .The gendered comparisons of livelihood engagement was done using the chi-square test of association.Findings: The results showed that all farmers perceived occurrence of changes in climatic conditions in the light of changed rainfall patterns in that there has been uncertainty in onset of rains, short rainy season, more intermittent rainfall and increased frequency of intra-seasonal droughts. These changes have led to farmers to adopt such farming techniques as potholing in preference to oxen and tractor ploughing when farming is done on smaller pieces of land. There was a significant difference in the mean annual incomes generated from on-farm livelihoods (ZMW 3677.59; n=58) and off-farm livelihoods (ZMW 6840.91; n = 58) (p= 0.001). Farmers generated the highest income returns by engaging in casual work (ZMW 10307.69; n = 13) compared to every other livelihoods common in the area such as gardening (p=0.002), petty trade (p=0.002) and on-farm livelihoods (p=0.001).Contribution to policy, theory and practice: It was therefore concluded that diversification of income through diversified livelihoods would help smallholder farmers enhance their resilience in the face of changed climatic conditions. On-farm livelihoods should not always be the main income source for farmers as results indicated that farmers engaged in casual work generated higher incomes than those who depended on farming. It was recommended that policy direction should be towards introduction of a gender responsive credit facility that can help improve women’s engagement in off-farm income generating livelihoods, as well as encourage climate change resilience.

Technology Adoption Under Variable Weather Conditions — The Case of Rain Water Harvesting in Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya

2016 ◽  
Vol 02 (02) ◽  
pp. 1650001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Kyalo Willy ◽  
Arnim Kuhn
Keyword(s):  
Social Exchange ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Rainfall Variability ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Rain Water ◽  
Water Harvesting ◽  
Lake Naivasha ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Rain Water Harvesting

This paper applies a parametric econometric duration model (log–logistic) to analyze the duration of adoption of rain water harvesting techniques (RWHTs) among smallholder farmers in the Lake Naivasha basin, Kenya. The study utilizes survey data from 307 farm-households who are dependent on rain-fed agriculture in a region where rainfall has historically been relatively variable. In such circumstances, RWHT helps to stabilize water supply and help farmers manage weather-related risks. The current study seeks to identify constraints to the spread of RWHTs by exploring how rainfall variability influences the timing of decisions to adopt RWHTs alongside other farm-household and spatial characteristics. Empirical results indicate that although rainfall variability is a significant determinant of time to adoption of RWHTs, farmers’ sensitivity to rainfall variability have declined over time. Instead, access to informal sources of information has gained importance in adoption of RWHT implying that adoption has become more of an endogenous process of social exchange within communities, and less driven by external natural pressure and persuasion by state agents. Other important factors were: age and education level of household head, domestic water demand, ground water abstraction and the number of previous and expected adopters in the village.

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