CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION STRATEGIES AMONG SMALL RUMINANTS FARMERS IN BORGU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the climate change effects and adaptation strategies among small ruminant farmers in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. A combination of purposive and simple random sampling techniques was adopted to select 80 small ruminant farmers in the Local Government Area. Data were collected using an interview guide. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data while Adaptation Strategy Use Index (ASUI) was used to rank the most frequently used adaptation strategies to climate change. The mean age and the mean family size of the small ruminant farmers were 46 years and 9 persons respectively. Majority (52.3%) of them had at least primary education with mean a mean farming experience of 8 years. Almost (97.7%) all the small ruminant farmers observed that there was climate change with flooding being the most perceived indicator of climate change. ASUI revealed that provision of housing for animals ((0.84), frequent cleaning of animals house (0.82) as well as keeping and feeding ruminants indoor during rainfall and cold (0.80) were the most frequently used adaptation strategies. The study recommends that efforts should be made to educate small ruminant farmers on the use of other
adaptation strategies while assisting them by providing credit facilities and subsidies.