Effect of Climate Change on Cocoa Production in Ondo State, Nigeria.

This study was carried out on effect of climate change on cocoa production in Ondo State, Nigeria. It specifically identified the socio-economic characteristics, examined the coping strategies adopted by the farmers in adjusting to these problems, determined the factors affecting the coping strategies adopted by the farmers in adapting to climate change, examined the rainfall and temperature patterns of the study area within the period of?? 1992 ? 2012 and analyzed the effects of some climatic variables on cocoa production within the period of 1992-2012. Multi-stage sampling technique was employed to obtain data from 180 cocoa farmers that were purposively selected from 3 Local Government Areas in Ondo State being the highest producers it the State, these are; Ondo East, Akure South and Idanre LGA. Descriptive Statistical Analysis, Trend Analysis, Multiple Regression Model and Tobit Regression Modelwere used to analyze the data. About 62% of the cocoa farmers interviewed observed noticeable changes in temperature while 70% and 51% of the farmers reported increased changes in rainfall and sunlight respectively. Among the most prevalent climate change problems reported among cocoa farmers in the study area? were; high incidence of black pod? disease (80%), death of cocoa trees (75%), increase malaria incidence (65%),reduction in cocoa yield (63%) and inability to dry cocoa pods (61%). The trend analysis of cocoa production in the study area revealed that there was a sharp decrease in the volume of cocoa produced from 1992-2000while fluctuatingoccurrenceswere witnessed in the volume of cocoa produced till 2012.? Also, there was variability in the rainfall, relative humidity and temperature patterns examined within the period under the study. The major coping strategies employed by the cocoa farmers in the study area were; use of chemicals (75%), mulching and planting trees (69%) different planting date (63%), monitoring weather (61%) and crop diversification (58%)while factors influencing coping strategies adoption by the cocoa farmers in the study were; level of education, farm size, access to extension service and farming experience.?