Analysis of Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions on Climate Change, Preference and Willingness-to-pay for Seasonal Climate Forecasts Information in Savelugu Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Aim: Agricultural production is directly affected by climate change. This means that access to climate information would help the farmers’ preparedness for farming activities and the decision on the types of crops to grow, when to grow them and the types of farm management activities to adopt. As such, this study analysed farmers’ preference for seasonal climate forecasts and their willingness-to-pay for these information.
 Place and Duration: The study was conducted in the Savelugu Municipality in the Northern region of Ghana. A single period data was collected for analysis.
 Methodology: A total of 300 farmers were selected through a two stage sampling procedure and used for the study. From the theory of contingent valuation, a descriptive statistic and Heckman model were used in analysing the data.
 Results: From the results, the majority of farmers were willing-to-pay for seasonal climate information, especially, climate forecasts on rainfall. The farmers preferred that these seasonal climate forecasts should be disseminated to them through the radio. The farmers exhibit positive willingness-to-pay for seasonal climate forecasts to about 20 Ghana cedis. A number of factors influenced the farmers’ decision and amount they were willing-to-pay and these include gender, age, perception of climate change experience, ownership of radio, off-farm activity and participation in planting for food and jobs (PFFJ) program.
 Conclusions: The findings of this study highlighted the need for climate information by farmers and how this can be effectively disseminated to them. Generally, government institutions and other private agencies should take up the challenge and opportunity to provide climate information, especially seasonal rainfall forecast, to the farmers at a fee. This fee must be determined at an optimal or at least a breakeven price considering the farmer’s ability to pay. The study also recommended that climate information dissemination should be integrated into government’s PFFJ program.

Farmers’ choice for indigenous practices and implications for climate-smart agriculture in northern Ghana

“…In exploring the urgency of the customary values and traditions in farm management systems among smallholder farmers in Indonesia [ 60 ],observed that indigenous knowledge and practices are deployed at various stages of farming, from identification of farm site through to harvesting and performance of traditional thanksgiving services [ 61 ].also found that the contributions of indigenous pastoralists to household income through livelihood diversification were significantly influenced by their access to credit, market, age of household head, use of farm inputs, frequency of extension contacts, market access, and ownership of assets. In Burkina Faso [ 38 ], found that the ability or inability of smallholder farmers to pay for improved climate services were determined by their socio-demographic characteristics such as the level of education, age, gender, and level of awareness on climate information [ 20 ]. also observed that smallholder farmers’ production decisions are influenced by their level of access and participation in government subsidies and related programmes, perceptions and experience about improved production services, access to alternative livelihood activities and source of agricultural information.…”

“…Many of these interventions target at promoting CSA practices and technologies such as irrigation, use of improved seeds and other inputs, provision of extension services, and agroforestry among smallholder farmers. For instance, the Government of Ghana, civil society organisations, and donor organisations have adduced policy interventions such as the provision of small-scale irrigation dams, supply of agriculture inputs and farm equipment, including training farmers on improved farming methods to enhance the adaptive capacities of farmers for food production [ 4 , 20 , 21 ]. These interventions seek to promote agricultural practices that are not only climate-smart but also climate compatible and can enhance food crop production and food security under climate change.…”