Analysis of the Effects of Drought on Groundnut Production and Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies in Kukawa Local Government Area, Borno State, Nigeria

This study examined socioeconomic factors influencing farmers’ perception of drought, its effects, and adaptation strategies. Primary data from 153 randomly selected farmers were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that most respondents were middle-aged, married smallholder farmers with limited formal education and moderate access to extension services. Farmers perceived drought as having severe negative impacts on production, including reduced flowering (79.2%), yield (76.7%), germination (66.7%), and growth (62.5%). Other effects included increased pest and disease attacks, poor seed formation, low market value, and feed shortages for livestock. Adaptation strategies commonly adopted were early planting (83.3%), mulching (75.0%), intercropping (70.8%), use of hybrid seeds (66.7%), and irrigation (62.5%), alongside mixed farming, manure use, cover cropping, and livelihood diversification. Regression results indicated that farming experience (β = 0.342, p < 0.01), access to extension services (β = 0.289, p < 0.01), age (β = 0.215, p < 0.05), education (β = 0.198, p < 0.05), cooperative membership (β = 0.176, p < 0.05), farm size (β = 0.122, p < 0.10), and income (β = 0.154, p < 0.10) significantly influenced drought perception. The model explained 61.2% of the variation (R² = 0.612). The study concludes that farmers’ drought perception and adaptive responses are strongly shaped by their socioeconomic background. It recommends improving extension services, promoting farmer education, facilitating access to credit and drought-resilient technologies, and strengthening cooperative societies to enhance resilience.