Constraints to Access and Utilization of Meteorological Services in Delta State, Nigeria

Year 2021, Volume: 31 Issue: 1, 150 - 161, 30.03.2021

Albert Ofuoku , Christian Obıazı

https://doi.org/10.29133/yyutbd.738294

Cited By: 2

Abstract

Climate change effect on agricultural productivity is very glaring. There is an advocacy for arable crops farmers to take advantage of the Nigeria meteorological services (NIMET) as part of adaptation strategies against climate change. Having an insight into the constraints to access and utilization agro-meteorological services is worthwhile for agricultural extension programme planning. This study evaluated assessed the constraint to access and utilization of agro-meteorological service among arable crop farmers in Delta State Nigeria. The agro-meteorological services that were most made available to them ranged from daily weather forecast to seasonal weather condition. The farmers mostly accessed and utilized daily weather forecast, seasonal rainfall prediction, information on crop stages performance and general weather condition. However, untimely release and transmission of the needed information was the major constraint to utilization of agro-meteorological services. The farmers’ socioeconomic attributes such as level of formal education, household size, farm size, extension contact and membership of farmers’ association influenced the utilization of agro-meteorological services. It is concluded that the level of access to and utilization of agro-meteorological services is low as a result of the constraints experienced by the farmers. It was recommended that agro-meteorological services information need to be disseminated timely and the information be simplified before dissemination to farmers.

Keywords

Agro-meteorological services1, arable crop farmers2, meteorological information utilization 3, climate change 4, adaptation strategies5

Supporting Institution

0

Project Number

021/2019

Thanks

We thank the officers of Nigeria Meteorological services and th arable crop farmers used for this study.

Delta Eyaleti, Nijerya'da Meteoroloji Hizmetlerine Erişim ve Kullanım Kısıtlamaları

Abstract

İklim değişikliğinin tarımsal verimlilik üzerindeki etkisi çok dikkat çekicidir. Ekilebilir mahsülçiftçilerinin, iklim değişikliğine karşı uyum stratejilerinin bir parçası olarak Nijerya meteoroloji hizmetlerinden (NIMET) yararlanmaları savunuculmaktadır. Tarımsal meteoroloji hizmetlerine erişim ve kullanım kısıtlamalarına ilişkin bir kavrayışa sahip olmak, tarımsal yayım programı planlaması için faydalıdır. Bu çalışma, Delta Eyaleti Nijerya'daki ekilebilir mahsul çiftçileri arasında agro-meteoroloji hizmetine erişim ve kullanım kısıtlamasını değerlendirmiştir. En çok kendilerine sunulan agro-meteorolojik hizmetler, günlük hava durumu tahmini ile mevsimsel hava durumu arasında değişmektedir. Çiftçiler çoğunlukla günlük hava tahminlerine, mevsimsel yağış tahminlerine, ürün aşamalarının performansına ve genel hava durumuna ilişkin bilgilere erişmekte ve bunları kullanmaktadır. Bununla birlikte, ihtiyaç duyulan bilginin zamansız bir şekilde yayınlanması ve iletilmesi, tarımsal meteoroloji hizmetlerinin kullanımının önündeki en büyük engeli oluşturmaktadır. Çiftçilerin resmi eğitim seviyesi, hane büyüklüğü, çiftlik büyüklüğü, tarımsal yayım teması ve çiftçiler birliğine üyeliği gibi sosyoekonomik özellikleri, agro-meteorolojik hizmetlerin kullanımını etkilemektedir. Çiftçilerin yaşadığı kısıtlamalar nedeniyle tarımsal meteorolojik hizmetlere erişim ve kullanım seviyesinin düşük olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır. Tarımsal meteoroloji hizmetleri bilgilerinin zamanında dağıtılması ve bilginin çiftçilere dağıtılmadan önce basitleştirilmesi önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Tarım-meteoroloji hizmetleri, ekilebilir çiftçiler, meteorolojik bilgi kullanımı, iklim değişikliği

Project Number

021/2019

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