Determinants of farmers' choice of coping strategies to climate variability and change in Manyoni district, Singida region, Tanzania
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Date
2022-06-26
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Sub Saharan Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities
Abstract
Climate variability and change (CV & C) poses a threat to the sustainability of food production among smallscale farmers in rural Tanzania that are dependent on rain-fed agriculture. Understanding farmers’ coping to CV & C and
the determinants of their coping decision is crucial in designing realistic strategies and policies for agriculture development.
Therefore, this study investigated coping strategies practiced by small-scale farmers and factors that influenced coping
decisions in Manyoni District. A random sampling technique and household survey method was used to gather cross-sectional
data from 330 small-scale farmers selected from 6 wards. Out of 8 coping strategies identified by small-scale farmers, the
four main coping strategies were subsequently adopted and used included; selling of livestock, off-farm employment,
decreasing meal consumption and supplementing livestock feeds. The findings from Multivariate Probit Model showed some
households' characteristics that influenced the choice of coping strategies were; the age of household head, household size,
farm size, farming experience, technology uses, annual income, extension services, livestock ownership, and shift in rain
season. The study concludes that the adoption of coping strategies is important and inevitable. Economic activities
diversification through livestock keeping and off-farm employment is the key factor to minimize the impact of CV & C.
Extension services is the significant determinant factor for the adoption of coping strategies and survival of small-scale
farmers. The study recommends that the government and Non-governmental organizations should invest in climate-resilient
programs and formulate policies that will focus on addressing challenges facing small-scale farmers in the course of adopting
coping strategies. Government policies and investment must be geared towards the support of education on coping strategies,
diversification in economic activities through off-farm employment, livestock keeping, and the use of technology. The
government should formulate policies on extension services to ensure deployment of extension agents in every villages.
Description
Journal article
Keywords
Climate Change, Coping strategies, Climate variability, Farmers’ choice, Small-scale farmers
Citation
Mbwambo, E.P., Kabote, S.J and Kazuzuru, B. (2022). Determinants of farmers' choice of coping strategies to climate variability and change in Manyoni district, Singida region, Tanzania, The Sub Saharan Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 1(1): 12-24