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

Masterarbeit aus dem Fachbereich Agrarwissenschaften, , Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: 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.