Analysis of the Effect of Climate Change on Rice Production in Nigeria

The Nigerian economy largely depends on agriculture which is vulnerable to unfavorable climatic conditions. Consequently, rice is a very important staple crop, widely cultivated and consume by millions of people in the country. Nigerian government policy heavily protects rice in order to stimulate it local production. There is still scanty empirical evidence on the effect of climate change on rice production in Nigeria. This study was carried out to fill this gap. This study specifically examined the effect of climate change on rice output in Nigeria. This study utilized climate data (rainfall and temperature) from Nigerian Meteorological Center, Carbon dioxide data from FAOSTAT, and information on the country’s` milled rice from USDA (1970-2016). The analytical tools employed in the data analysis were Descriptive, Trend analysis, Unit root test, Co-integration and Regression model. Findings of the study revealed that there is variation in the trend of the climatic factors and also variation in rice output over the period of study. The result also shows that that annual rainfall, and temperature contributes significantly to rice output in Nigeria. Rainfall had positive coefficient and significant 5%, temperature had negative coefficient and significant at 1%. The area of land cultivated had positive coefficient and significant at 1%. The study concluded that climate change significantly influence rice output in Nigeria. The study recommended that consideration be given to climate change in the formulation of agricultural policies for the attainment of food security and national aspiration for sustainability in the production of rice production in Nigeria

Determinants of Choice of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies among Rural Farming Households in Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria

The study examined factors influencing the choice of climate change adaptation strategies among rural farming households in Lokoja Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria. A total of 115 rural farmers constitute the sample size for this study. Descriptive and relevant inferential statistics such as multivariate probit model were used. The perceived effects of climate change in the study area were erosion/flooding, increase in rainfall, scarce of resources, increase in temperature, and increase in pest and disease infestation. The major adaptation strategies adopted by the  farmers in the study area were change in planting date (72.17%), change in harvesting date (67.83%), construction of drainage around homes/farms  (67.83%), income diversification (64.35%), and planting cover crops (58.26%). The result of the factors influencing choice of adaptation showed that gender, age, years of farming experience, access to credit, and training on climate change were the factors that influenced the choice of adaptation strategies in the study area. The major constraints to adoption of adaptation strategies in the study area were identified. The study concluded that selected socio-economic characteristics influenced the choice of rural farmers` adaptation strategies utilized in the study area. Government policies should be sensitive to support of trainings on climate change, education, credit access, farm size and household siz

The perceived influence of COVID-19 preventive measures on the profit efficiency of smallholders’ cereal marketers in Cameroon

AbstractThis study was carried out to analyse the perceived influence of COVID-19 preventive measures on the profit efficiency of smallholders’ cereal marketers in Cameroon. The study hypothesizes that COVID-19 preventive measures significantly influence cereal marketers’ profit efficiency. A method of sampling, involving multiple stages and random selection, was employed to choose a group of 747 cereal marketers, and was analysed via the stochastic frontier model and beta regression. Cereal marketers are aware of the COVID-19 pandemic (80%), and of the government preventive policy measures (63%). The number of days in lockdown, the costs of hand sanitizer and face masks negatively influence cereal marketers’ profit efficiency while community sensitization positively influence cereal marketers’ profit efficiency. Borrowed money from friends (73%), Borrowed of money from money lenders (69%), withdrawal of savings (70%), material/financial support (37%), sell off assets to meet the daily need (73%), reduction of the quality of meals eaten (66%), and sell off reserved food to earn more money (63%) are the copying strategies used by cereal marketers. The study did not involve control groups that face different levels of exposure, and suggest that control groups could help isolate the effects of preventive measures from other external factors and provide a basis for comparison for further studies. To make preventive outbreak measures effective, price subsidies should be implemented to enable the use and access of hand sanitizer and disposable face masks, and the continuous wide broadcasting through community sensitization