The relationship between climate variability and smallholder farmers’ common bean yield in northern Uganda

Abstract

Climate variability poses detrimental effects on both nature and society, it is a global challenge that requires immediate attention if the world's 9 billion people are to be supported by sustainable use of the environment. The study examined the relationship between climate variability and smallholder farmers’ common bean yield in Northern Uganda. The study's specific objectives were to examine common bean smallholder farmers' perceptions of climate variability, assess the relationship between temperature change and smallholder farmers' common bean yield, and assess the relationship between rainfall variability and smallholder farmers' common bean yield in Northern Uganda. The study employed cross-sectional research and mixed methodology designs involving 160 smallholder farmers actively planting common bean. The sample was selected using stratified, random, and criterion-based purposive sampling techniques. To gather primary data for this study, an interviewer-administered paper survey, focus groups, and in-depth interviews were used. To evaluate quantitative data, descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation were used. Qualitative data was used to validate and supplement the narratives based on the quantitative findings. The findings revealed that common bean smallholder farmers are aware of and have experienced a rise in temperature and rainfall amount over the past 12 years that is unfavourable for the production of common beans. The null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between changes in temperature and common bean yield is retained. In addition, the null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between rainfall variability and common bean yield is retained. Thus, the low common bean yield experienced by smallholder common bean farmers in Northern Uganda is a result of other factors that this study did not focus on, like soil conditions, agronomic practices, pests, and diseases, among others. The investigator recommends that public and private agencies and agricultural extension workers tasked with enhancing the potentials of smallholder farmers should use and tap into the farmers' experiences with climate variability to inform climate variability training programmes. Further, build the capacity of common bean smallholder farmers to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change and variability on common bean production and productivity. The capacity-building process should be holistic and integrate a host of other factors with a bearing on low yield, like soil conditions, agronomic practices, pests, and diseases, among others.