ISSN 2360-7955
Abstract
Climate variability has become a global concern due to its far-reaching effects on agricultural productivity and human livelihoods. This study investigates the impact of climate variability on agricultural productivity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. A total of 600 copies of the structured questionnaire gathered were administered to farmers using the stratified random sampling technique. Data collected were analysed using frequency, percentages, Likert scale, and regression, and the results were presented in tables. Results of the analysis show that a significant proportion of respondents (35%) believed that rising temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns (40%), and soil degradation (40%) affect agricultural productivity. Regression analysis shows that a temperature increase (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) with a negative coefficient of 0.35 suggests that as temperatures increase, agricultural productivity decreases. Erratic Rainfall (β = 0.45, p < 0.001) shows the negative impact of erratic rainfall on agricultural productivity, which is statistically significant (p value < 0.001). The coefficient for soil degradation (β = 0.30, p < 0.001) shows that soil degradation significantly impacts agricultural productivity in Nasarawa State. It is, therefore, recommended among others that farmers should integrate climate-smart agricultural practices such as crop rotation, intercropping, and water conservation techniques to improve yields under changing climatic conditions.
Keywords: Climate variability, Agricultural productivity, Nasarawa state, Nigeria