Rural Farmers’ Coping Strategies to Effects of Climate Change on Watermelon Production in Igboora, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

In the past two decades watermelon production has been a major source of livelihood sustainability in the rural farming system especially among the younger farmers. In recent time however, climate change has threatened and undermined this potential. This study was therefore carried out to assess rural farmers’ coping strategies to effects of climate change on watermelon production in Igboora, Oyo State, Nigeria. Multi stage sampling technique was used to select 150 watermelon farmers as sample size for this study. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings showed that there was significant relationship between respondent’s personal characteristics and coping strategies adopted by the watermelon farmers at p < 0.05 level. Also, there was significant relationship between sources of information and coping strategies adopted by the watermelon farmers at p < 0.05 level. It is hereby recommends that effort should be put in place by the government and Seed Council of Nigeria (SCN) to come up with improved, and high drought and disease resistant watermelon seeds to increase productivity and reduce cost of seeds importation in the study area.