CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF FOOD CROP PRODUCTUON IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61841/1j3h1g51Keywords:
Climate change, food crop production, awareness, extension services, Benue State.Abstract
The study examine climate change awareness and its effects on the performance of food crop production in Benue State, Nigeria. It employed a quantitative research design to examine how socio-economic factors and climate change awareness influence farmers’ returns. The study population comprised rural households across the three agricultural zones of Benue State, from which a sample of 450 households was selected using multi-stage sampling techniques. Validity of the questionnaire was ensured through expert review, while reliability was confirmed using the test–retest method. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression (Ordinary Least Squares). The results revealed that education (coefficient = 201.90, t = 5.25, p = 0.000), farming experience (coefficient = 123.14, t = 4.40, p = 0.000), and extension visits (coefficient = 354.76, t = 4.41, p = 0.000) significantly and positively influenced farmers’ returns. Conversely, gender (coefficient = -1241.49, t = -2.64, p = 0.009) and household size (coefficient = -137.77, t = -2.38, p = 0.018) exerted significant negative effects. Perceptions of rainfall and sunlight, as well as changes in rainfall timing, were not statistically significant. Model statistics showed R² = 0.154, Adjusted R² = 0.138, and F-statistic = 10.00 (p < 0.001), confirming overall significance. Diagnostic tests validated the robustness of the estimates, with no evidence of multicollinearity, heteroscedasticity, or autocorrelation, and residuals were normally distributed. The study concludes that climate change awareness, supported by education, experience, and extension services, is critical in enhancing farmers’ resilience and returns. It recommends investment in farmer education, strengthening extension systems, empowering women in agriculture, and promoting household-level interventions to mitigate resource pressure.
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