Abstract:
The study was carried out to investigate the risks management strategies that are needed by crop farmers in the Western Agricultural zone of kogi state. Five research question and five corresponding hypothesis tested at 0.5 level of significance and 131 degree of freedom guided the study. A survey research design was adopted for the study. A total of 147 registered farmers with the state A.D.P. and, 17 extension workers were randomly sampled. A structured Questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.70 using Kuder- Richardson Formula K- R 21. Four experts carried out face validation of the instrument. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research question while t-test statistic was used to test the hypotheses. The study showed that farmers need many climate risks management strategies to deal with the risks of climate change in their farming enterprise. Farmers also need proactive and modern pests and diseases risks management strategies to combat diseases risks instead of using local hardy varieties which are more resistant to diseases but less yielding. Marketing strategies that will enable the farmers to benefit from increases in price of farm produce at any time are seen to be needed as price and market risk management strategies rather than those strategies that will force the farmers to a fixed price with stable market. Farmers require all proactive strategies that will help them to overcome any of the social risks they may encounter in the course of farming. The coping strategies that are needed by farmers are those that they can access from their own savings, assets, self discipline by cutting down expenses and those from government and Non Governmental Organizations (N. G. Os). They lack trust in the genuineness of insurance industry to provide succor for them in time of stress. It was recommended that the stabilization of agricultural inputs and output prices should be ensured to encourage farmers and remove market risks from their array of risks, enlisting of farmers in the programme and activities of the National Emergency Management Authority (N. E. M.A.) should be ensured to provide relief materials and succor for farmers in adverse situation. Also the National Geographic Information Systems (N.G.I.S) should be providing rural farmers with current information about expected changes in weather conditions so that they can be well prepared in advance and strategize their activities to manage risks associated with sudden changes in climatic conditions.
