Climate Variability And Response Strategies Among Smallholder Sweet Potato Farmers In Gatundu North Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya
International Journal of Research in Environmental Science
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Abstract: This report talks about the impact of climate variability on smallholder sweet potato farmers in Gatundu North Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya. It investigates how changes in rainfall and temperature patterns affect sweet potato production and explores the coping strategies adopted by farmers to adapt to these changes. The study draws on both climatic data?monthly rainfall totals and average maximum and minimum temperatures?and primary data from selected smallholder farmers. The findings indicate that while annual rainfall totals show a decreasing trend and temperatures an increasing one, these changes were not statistically significant. However, sweet potato production has been declining, with only a weak negative correlation to the climate variables studied. Despite this, farmers have employed various adaptive strategies, including crop diversification, use of irrigation, planting fast-maturing and drought-tolerant varieties, shifting planting dates, and utilizing swampy areas. The study concludes that these strategies have mitigated the adverse effects of climate variability, and recommends their enhancement to support climate-resilient agriculture among smallholders in the region.