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Farmers Perception of Impact Climate Change on Food Crop Production in Ketu North District in the Volta Region of Ghana
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1  University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

Published: 02 November 2011 by MDPI in The 1st World Sustainability Forum session Environmental Sustainability
Abstract: The present study analyses farmers\' perception of impact of climate change on food crop production and the adaptation strategies to cope with climate change. An interview schedule was the main tool for data collection whilst descriptive statistics was the main analytical tool applied. A random sampling technique was used to select 100 crop farmers for the study. The study revealed that most farmers perceived an increase in temperature, decrease in precipitation and an increase in wind temperature in Ketu North district. Major impacts of climate change were perceived as weed and pest challenges, decline in crop quality, changes in land, soil and water quality, increased risk of food shortage, stunted growth of crops and drying of seedlings after germination. Results suggest changing of planting dates, use of different crop varieties and the use of drought and heat resistant varieties as the widely used adaptation measures. Despite the use of adaptation techniques, lack of information, lack of credit, lack of access to water, expensive nature of adaptation, insecure property right, insufficient access to inputs and shortage of land were important constraints to the adaptation process.
Keywords: climate impacts, perception, adaptation, barriers, descriptive statistics
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