Assessment of Knowledge and Awareness of Climate Change amongst Arable Crop Farmers in Abia State, Nigeria

This study was initiated to assess the knowledge and awareness level of climate change amongst arable crop farmers in Abia State, Nigeria. To achieve this study purpose, the cross sectional research design was adopted where questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. The study made us of a sample size of 374 arable crop farmers which cut across the seventeen (17) Local Government Areas of Abia State out of a total of 18697, this however was achieved through the use of the Taro Yamane formula for sample size determination. Data for the study was analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study findings showed that farmers in Abia State have good knowledge of arable crops and that arable crops grown in Abia State are weather sensitive, it also revealed that farmers are aware and do have good knowledge of climate change also that climate change has a lot to do with arable farming and farmers in Abia State and that climate change concerns are not only limited to arable crop farmers alone rather that other sectors of the economy have climate change concerns and that its experience is challenging in Abia State. The study however recommends the need for effective funding of agro based sector to ensure that the improvement in food production and climate change impacts reduction is actualized.