Influence of socio-economic and agronomic factors on climate resilience management among farmers in Marathwada

The present study was conducted during 2023–24 in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra to examine the relationship between farmers' profile characteristics and their climate resilience management level. Out of the eight districts in the region, Nanded, Dharashiv, and Hingoli were purposively selected based on their significant climatic variability in terms of rainfall and temperature. Within each selected district, two tehsils were randomly chosen, resulting in a total of six tehsils. Further, two villages were randomly selected from each tehsil, and 15 farmers from each village were randomly chosen, making a total of 180 respondents. An ex-post facto research design was adopted, and data were collected using a pre-designed interview schedule through personal interactions to ensure accuracy, validity, and completeness. Statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson’s coefficient of correlation were employed for data analysis and interpretation. The findings revealed that independent variables such as education, landholding, annual income, cropping pattern, scientific orientation, mass media exposure, economic motivation, risk orientation, awareness of climate-resilient agricultural (CRA) technologies, farm mechanization level, and extension contact had a positive and significant relationship with climate resilience management. In contrast, age and farming experience showed a negative and significant relationship, while the source of irrigation had a negative but non-significant relationship with climate resilience management. These insights highlight the influence of socio-economic and agronomic factors on farmers' climate resilience management levels, providing a foundation for developing targeted interventions to enhance their climate resilience.