Impact of Climate Change on Smallholder Maize-Based Farmers’ Choice of Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Productivity in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

This study is motivated by the extant literature showing the sensitivity of Nigeria’s agricultural sector to the impact of climate change and its subsequent effect on smallholder farmers. This study examined the effect of choice of sustainable agricultural practices on smallholder farmers’ maize farms in Nigeria. Using a multistage sampling technique, 300 maize farmers were surveyed for the study. Data were analyzed using a multivariate probit model and endogeneity corrected frontier model. The study found that variables such as age of household head (p<0.01), gender (p<0.01), farming experience (p<0.05), farm size (p<0.01), years of formal education (p<0.01), membership of association (p<0.05), access to extension service (p<0.01), and access to credit (p<0.05) significantly impact farmers’ choices and adoption of different sustainable agricultural practices. The farm size (p<0.05), seed, fertilizer (p<0.05), the interaction of labour with farm size (p<0.01), herbicides and fertilizer (p<0.01), and the interaction of farm size with seed, herbicides, and fertilizers (p<0.05) contain significant predictive content for efficiency of maize production. Therefore, adoption of sustainable agricultural practices to reduce the negative impact of climate change helps the farmers to improve their maize production efficiency. To improve the technical efficiency of the maize farmers, the study recommends that there is a need to increase access to extension services, increase their level of education through agricultural training and seminars, and improve their access to financial support for the attainment of increased productivity.