Effect of climate-smart technologies on smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change

Abstract

The study examined the Effect of Climate Smart Technologies on Small Holder Farmers’ Resilience to Climate Change in Nakaseke District in Uganda. A descriptive cross sectional survey design was adopted where both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. Data was collected from 196 farmers, using questionnaires and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social scientists (SPSS) scientific package. Findings revealed that farmers were using several climate smart technologies in the three sub counties visited. Main technologies used included; improved crop varieties like drought and disease tolerant varieties, fertilizers and planting basins use. Use of organic manure, mulching, seed priming, timely planting and crop rotation were among the indigenous practices mentioned. Other technologies included construction of physical soil conservation structures like bunds and ridges, mixed cropping, agro forestry and irrigation. These technologies were majorly implemented by Sasakawa Global 2000 (45%), NARO (25.8%), and local Government (18.4%). To analyze the effect of the CSATs on crop output, a paired sample test was used to determine the statistical significance between the two periods i.e. Period 1(before CSATs) and Period 2(After CSATs). The periods were analysed at a confidence interval of 95% with 5% standard error. Results generated by the test confirmed that there was statistical mean difference in the output of maize, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes, coffee, and soya bean (P<0.05). There was however no significant increase in yields of rice and ground nuts (P>0.05) as a result of these CSATs. The general perception of the respondents was that climate smart technologies mainly fertilizer use and drought resistant varieties were important for increasing their crop yields. Farmers attributed non up take of some technologies to the challenges associated with them. These challenges included lack of credit access, inadequate extension services, labour intensiveness of some technologies, land tenure system, and longtime taken for some technologies to show impact, a case of agro forestry. In view of the farmers’ perceptions and the highlighted challenges involved in adoption of the climate smart technologies, there is need for the government and other stakeholders to disseminate the climate smart technologies to more farmers at affordable costs. This will allow the farmers to easily adopt the technologies and in turn increase their crop and livestock productivity. *Key words: Climate change, Climate smart technologies, Output, Resilience.