Exploring the Barriers to the Adoption of Climate-Smart Irrigation Technologies for Sustainable Crop Productivity by Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from South Africa

Autor: Batizi Serote, Salmina Mokgehle, Grany Senyolo, Christian du Plooy, Samkelisiwe Hlophe-Ginindza, Sylvester Mpandeli, Luxon Nhamo, Hintsa Araya
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Agriculture, Vol 13, Iss 2, p 246 (2023)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2077-0472
DOI: 10.3390/agriculture13020246
Popis: Climate change continues to impact the livelihoods of smallholder farmers due to low adaptive capacity. In South Africa, the challenge is exacerbated by water scarcity and shortened crop-growing seasons. Climate-smart irrigation innovative technologies (CSIT) enhance smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate change. However, there is still a limited level of effective adoption and usage of these technologies in smallholder communities. This study investigated the barriers affecting the adoption of CSIT in rural areas of the Vhembe and Capricorn districts in Limpopo Province, South Africa. We explored the farmers’ socioeconomic factors extracted from farmers’ perceptions of CSIT-specific attributes. A multi-stage randomized sampling technique was used to select 100 smallholder farmers (SHF). Data analyzed by descriptive statistics such as percentages and frequency distribution are presented in graphs and tables. According to the findings, insufficient communication channels, a lack of financial availability, unstable land tenure systems, and insufficient training are the main obstacles to implementing CSIT. There is a need for policy and decision-makers to improve the communication channels for disseminating agro-meteorological information to the intended beneficiaries.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals