Abstract

The study employed a treatment effect model in estimating factors that influence perception and coping strategies to climate variability. A simple random technique in selecting six (6) communities and respondents (cocoa farmers) from these communities was used since the study area is homogeneously a cocoa growing arena. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents were interviewed with twenty (20) cocoa farmers randomly selected from each community for the study. From the result, 48.33% of respondents perceived climate variability correctly (thus rainfall is decreasing while temperature is increasing) whiles 51.67% perceived otherwise. The factors that significantly influenced farmer’s perception were FBO membership, household size, residence, educational level of household members and farm management training. The assessment of farmers’ perception on temperature and rainfall pattern and to unravel farmers’ perception on climate variability are fallouts of the objectives of the study. The significant adjustment techniques embraced by the agriculturists were pesticides application, planting enhanced assortments, blended planting and changing planting dates. Agriculturists’ observation was found to positively affect their adjustment. The study concluded that farmers in the study area are involved in specialization of the adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate variability.

Keywords: Treatment effect model; Climate variability; Perception; Coping strategies; Ghana