No abstract

With current global climate change conditions, the urgency to provide agricultural knowledge on adaptation has risen. The dearth of climate change information is one amongst many agricultural production challenges faced by the majority of rural farming communities. This study aimed to identify smallholder farmers’ sources of climate change information and constraints to their coping and adaptation. Descriptive statistical tools, mean scores and the ‘problem confrontation index’ (PCI) were used to assess and describe the study’s findings. Analysis revealed that public extension services play a minute role in rural farmers’ climate change knowledge; they get their information elsewhere. The most critical constraint to climate change coping and adaptation in the study area was lack of access to agricultural extension services.

The South African National Climate Change Response Policy (NCCRP) was instituted in October 2011. Amongst the policy’s priorities is building capacity and resilience in the country’s agricultural sector, with the public agricultural extension system being a principal component for climate change sensitization, education, and capacity building. This study, therefore, investigated the level of the policy awareness amongst smallholder farmers in the study area and the sensitization and response implementation. A multistage sampling procedure was used in the selection of the study population, with a cross-sectional household survey conducted using semi-structured questionnaires. Findings revealed that there was an extremely low awareness of the policy, and a dearth of sensitization campaigns and capacity-building training by extension officers in the study area. The practical and policy implications outlined could aid an increase in the resilience of farmers, with support from extension advisers and other relevant stakeholders.

Livestock is a critical asset for many rural poor, however, the current climate crisis is affecting livestock farmers. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in order to assess the farmers' perceptions of climate change, and its impact on production and adaptation responses. Using a multistage sampling procedure, a total of 142 smallholder livestock farmers were selected from 18 villages across the study area. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used and the observed results showed that there has been a perceived drastic decline in rainfall in the area over the last 25 years. Some of the perceived impacts were poor vegetation and limited grazing, scarcity of water resources, decreased livestock growth rate, weight, milk production and reproduction rates. Adaptation responses were limited as the results showed that the only response measures taken amongst the many options available were changing grazing routes, increasing grazing distances, destocking, water harvesting and storage, and increased dependence on social welfare. An examination of farmers' perceptions of their adopted responses showed that none of the response measures were perceived as significantly effective. The lack of effective response to the climate change crisis is a cause for concern, as the livestock industry is endemic to the region and sustains families and entire communities.

Government expenditure has been considered to be having an extent of impact on economic performance at both sectoral level and aggregate national level. Evidence from literature, however shows that this notion has not been generally accepted across countries and sectors. Considering the significance of agriculture in an economy most especially in Africa, and the consequent role of government, this study examines the impact of government expenditure on agricultural productivity in South Africa using annual time series data from 1983 to 2016. It is shown that there exists a long-run relationship between government expenditure on agriculture and agricultural productivity, and a positive significant effect only to be expected in the long-run. The finding underscores the non-negotiable role of the South African government funding of agricultural sector in an era of climate change and a highly commercialized agricultural system. Furthermore, considering the low and declining pattern of government expenditure in the sector in South Africa, the desired productivity growth impact will only be experienced in the long-run all things being equal. Improving government funding in the sector could accelerate the desired agricultural productivity in the short-term.