Smallholder farmers experiences of climate variability and change on pineapple production in Ghana: Examining adaptation strategies for improved production

Abstract

Climate variability and change presents enormous risk to agricultural production globally due to the impacts on yields. While global scholarship on climate change impacts and adaptation measures on agriculture has been well-documented, little is known about climate and pineapple production. This study examined smallholder pineapple farmers experiences of climate variability and change on production, as well as ranked adaptation options using data from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data consisted of survey and focus group discussions in four major pineapple growing districts in Ghana. The analysis revealed that pineapple farmers experience climate variability and change evidenced mainly through irregular rainfall patterns and rising temperatures. These changes cause reduction in fruit size and yield, change in colour and taste, and consequently, reduction in income from pineapple production. Although diverisification of livelihood away from pineapple cultivation emerged as the main adaptation option employed by smallholder pineapple farmers studied, it has the potential to reduce pineapple production in Ghana. For improvement and sustainability of the pineapple industry in Ghana, future studies should investigate the vulnerability of the production system to changing climate to effectively identify exposure and sensitivity of pineapple production to climatic changes. This will in effect, enhance identification of measures that will improve production as well as promote adaptation of the smallholder production systems to climate variability and change.

Inter-monthly Variability of Pineapple (Ananas comosus, MD2) Plant Water Requirement in Ghana: Implications for Planting Period Adjustment Field Experience Program

“…April to July is the major planting period in the pineapple sub-sector. This agrees with a study by Williams et al [18] who found that pineapple farmers in Ghana plant their materials mainly from March to July. In some areas such as the Nsawam-Adoagyiri, and the Akuapim South Districts, suckers and/or slips planting spans from March to December.…”

Perceived livelihood impacts and adaptation of vegetable farmers to climate variability and change in selected sites from Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria

“…Timely planting, use of improved cultivars, variation in planting dates, multiple cropping are some adaptation practices adopted at farm level (Ndamani and Watanabe 2015). In Ghana, several adaptation strategies such as intensification of irrigation, shift from on-farm to off-farm jobs, changes in cultivation practices, seasonal migration, on-farm fertiliser application and insurance against drought effects have been recorded (Williams et al 2018c(Williams et al , 2019Bawakyillenuo et al 2016). Others include shifts in planting period, planting drought tolerant crop varieties, planting on elevated ridges, irrigation of crops with water from streams and tree planting.…”

Climatic risk adaptation strategies by smallholder livestock farmers in Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia

“…However, these studies failed in addressing the impacts of climatic risks on smallholder livestock farmers, farmers' perception and strategies livestock farmers used to adapt to the risks in Eastern Amhara Region. Adaptation is not generic rather it is location and time specific or contextualized to the available resources, needs, cultural values and perception [ [20]], [51] and its effectiveness depends on local institutions and socioeconomic setting of a particular location [ [2]], [ [44]].…”