Impact of Extension Services on the Use of Climate Change Coping Strategies for Smallholder Ruminant Livestock Farmers in Raymond Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2023/v51n2a15725Keywords:
climate change, coping strategies, livestockAbstract
The study assessed the impact of extension services on the use of climate change coping strategies for livestock farmers in Raymond Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study utilised a cross-sectional survey design with 82 livestock farmers obtained through a purposive sampling method. The study used Propensity Score Matching (PSM) to analyse the data. Most respondents were single females aged 63, with average household sizes of 6, and had primary education, mostly keeping small stock. Climate change was mainly witnessed through changes in rainfall, with 80% of respondents indicating that it is caused by deforestation. The results suggest that access to extension services impacted the extensive utilisation of climate change coping strategies that decreased the livestock numbers at the 10% statistical level. Access to extension appears to limit the available options as coping strategies for climate change resulted in decreased livestock numbers. In conclusion, access to extension has negatively affected the use of various climate change-induced coping strategies for reduced livestock numbers, with no effect on the other coping strategies. Recommendations include retraining extension officers on various climate change coping strategies they can impart to livestock farmers. Also, agricultural climate policy should focus on creating awareness and increasing access to extension services among livestock farmers on climate risk coping strategies to mitigate the impact on rural livestock farmers.
Downloads
References
AGBAMU, J.U., 2002. Agricultural research-extension farmer linkages in Japan: Policy issues for sustainable agricultural development in developing countries. J. Soc. Policy. Issues., 1: 252-263.
ATSBEHA, A.T. & GEBRE, G.G., 2021, Factors affecting women access to agricultural extension services: Evidence from poultry producer women's in Northwestern Tigray, Ethiopia. Cogent Soc. Sci., 7: 1975413. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2021.1975413
BAHTA, Y.T., 2020. Smallholder livestock farmers coping and adaptation strategies to agricultural drought. AIMS Agric. Food., 5(4): 964-982. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3934/agrfood.2020.4.964
BONIS-PROFUMO, G., DO ROSARIO PEREIRA, D., BRIMBLECOMBE, J. & STACEY, N., 2022. Gender relations in livestock production and animal-source food acquisition and consumption among smallholders in rural Timor-Leste: A mixed-methods exploration. J. Rural Stud., 89: 222-234. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2021.11.027
CHARI, M.M., 2018. Assessing the vulnerability of resource-poor households to disasters associated with climate variability using remote sensing and GIS techniques in the Nkonkobe Local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Master's thesis, University of Fort Hare.
CHAPKE, R.R. & KAMMAR, S., 2021. Farmers' perception on climate change and agricultural adaptation strategies. International. J. Ext. Educ., XVI: 99-108.
EASTERN CAPE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL (ECSECC)., 2017. Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality Socio-Economic Review and Outlook. East London, South Africa: ECSECC.
JOHARA, F.T., BENEDETTI, A., PLATT, R., MENZIES, D., VIIKLEPP, P., SCHAAF, S. & CHAN, E., 2021. Evaluating the performance of propensity score matching based approaches in individual patient data meta-analysis. BMC Med. Res. Methodol., 21: 257. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-021-01452-1
MAKA, L., IGHODARO, I.D. & NGCOBO-NGOTHO, G.P.T., 2019. Capacity development for scaling up climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations: Agricultural extension's role in mitigating climate change effects in Gqumashe community, Eastern Cape, South Africa. S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., 47(1): 45-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2019/v47n1a488
MAPONYA, P. & MPANDELI, S., 2014. The role of extension services in climate change adaptation in Limpopo Province, South Africa. J. Agric. Ext. Rural. Dev., 5(7): 137-142.
MATEBENI, F., 2018. Measuring rural household food security in the Nkonkobe local Municipality, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Master’s thesis, University of Stellenbosch.
MDIYA, L. & MDODA, L., 2021. Socio-economic factors affecting home gardens as a livelihood strategy in rural areas of the Eastern Cape province, South Africa. S. Afr. J. Agric. Ext., 49(3): 1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3221/2021/v49n3a12823
MDIYA, L.,TARUVINGA, A., MUSHUNJE, A., MOPIPI, K. & NGARAVA, S., 2020. Rural community use and perception of rangeland products in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. Afr. J. Sci. Technol. Innov. Dev., 13(6): 757-768. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2020.1798043
MFITUMUKIZA, D., BERNARD, B., ANN, M., NABWIRE, D., HELLEN, A., BABU, S. & GERALD, K., 2017. Assessing the farmer field school's diffusion of knowledge and adaptation to climate change by smallholder farmers in Kiboga District, Uganda. J. Agric. Ext. Rural. Dev., 9(5): 74-83. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5897/JAERD2016.0832
MITTER, H., MANUELA, L., MARTIN, S., MAGDALENA, S. & ERWIN, S., 2019. Exploring farmers' climate change perceptions and adaptation intentions: Empirical evidence from Austria. Environ. Manag., 63: 804–821. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-019-01158-7
NGARAVA, S., 2019, Evaluating livestock development programmes through the production risk interface: Case of the Kaonafatso ya Dikgomo (KyD) Scheme in South Africa. Doctoral thesis, University of Fort Hare, South Africa DOI: https://doi.org/10.32861/jssr.61.50.60
SHAHZAD, L., 2015, Global warming: Causes, effects and solutions. Durreesamin Journal., 1(4).
TOMLINSON, T. & RHINE, Y.K., 2018. Assessing the role of farmer field schools in promoting pro-adaptive behaviour towards climate change among Jamaican farmers. J. Environ. Stud. Sci., 8(1): 86-98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-017-0461-6
UBISI, N.R., MAFONGOYA, P.L., KOLANISI, U. & JIRI, O., 2017. Smallholder farmer's perceived effects of climate change on crop production and household livelihoods in rural Limpopo province, South Africa. Change Adaptation Socioecol. Syst., 3: 27–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/cass-2017-0003
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 L. Mdiya, M. Aliber, S. Ngarava, N.V. Bontsa, L. Zhou
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
.png){kind=spacer}