CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND ITS IMPACT ON SMALLHOLDERS’ MAIZE PRODUCTION: THE CASE OF BEDENO WOREDA, EAST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA NATIONAL REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Climate variability is one of the serious environmental challenges that have many public impacts in most parts of the world due to its consequence. Climate variability continued to cause greatest environmental, social and economic treats to humankind. The objective of this study is to assess the climate variability and its impact on smallholder farmers maize production. The sample size for this study was 378 respondents, seven key informant interviews, 16 focus group discussions and field observation. The study also used climate data as well as maize yields data from 1996 to 2016 to examine the impacts of climate variability. The descriptive statistics and the inferential statistics like cross-tabulation, chi-square and hierarchical multiple regression were used. The data presentation in the form of tables, frequencies, percentage, pie chart and graph are used. The finding of the study showed that temperature variability, spring and autumn rainfall and annual rainfall had showed inter-annual and seasonal variation. Smallholders perceived climate variability causes low maize yield, shortage of food supply; and maize pests, drought, and slight floods affects the environment and their livelihoods. There are a numbers of adaptation options, which includes rainwater harvest, and change in cropping pattern, irrigation and diversification of income. However, poverty, water scarcity, land scarcity, lack of weather information, high cost of agricultural input were constraints of adaptation strategies. Therefore, improve agricultural production, built on existing people’s knowledge and strategies, train to farmers on rainwater harvesting technologies, empower farmers with information, protect assets and diversify income sources, environmental rehabilitation, foster institutional linkages for livelihood sustainability, improve early warning systems and climatic information systematic improvement in maize production and associated livelihoods improvements. It also observed that in the wake of climate variability and risks, farmers in the study area employ several adaptation strategies to absorb the shock. It recommended that the Crops Research Institute of Ethiopia develop that heat resistant maize crop that can withstand the pressures of the climatic variations especially high temperatures and low rainfall.