Perception and Impact of Climatic Variations on Crop Production in Sapele local Government Area of delta State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the perception and impact of climatic variations and associated extreme events such as flood, storms and wind on crop production in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. One hundred and twenty farmers randomly selected from twelve villages in the Local Government Area were used to constitute the sample. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The study indicated that the major climatic problems are water related floods (88.3%), windy rains (86.7%) and heavy rainfalls (90.0%). The study showed that root and tuber crops (cassava, yam, and cocoyam) are mostly affected by the climate problems. Finally the farmers do not know that human activities can contribute to the problems and also the role of man in alleviating these challenges.

Keywords: Floods, storms, crop production.