Determinants of adoption of climate change adaptation strategies in cotton in Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh

Abstract

Climate change poses a serious threat to agriculture, especially in developing countries like India where, farming is highly dependent on climate-sensitive resources. Cotton, a key commercial crop, is particularly vulnerable to irregular rainfall, rising temperatures, and pest infestations which contributes to the low yield. These challenges can be addressed by the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies. However, the rate of adoption is very low. Hence a study was designed to identify and analyze the determinants of adopting climate change adaptation strategies among cotton farmers in the semi-arid Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh using a binary logistic regression model. A total of 180 cotton farmers including 60 adopters and 120 non-adopters across six villages in three major cotton-growing mandals were surveyed for the agricultural year 2023-24. The results revealed that access to institutional credit, trainings on climate change, Government subsidies, non-farm income and education level of the farmer significantly increased the likelihood of adoption of climate change adaptation strategies. Conversely, the age of the farmer negatively influenced adoption. The study emphasized the need for targeted policy interventions, including strengthening adequate credit access, providing training on adoption of climate change adaptation strategies, providing financial subsidies and promoting non-farm income through MSME.