Farmer-reported biometeorological hazards and their implications for banana production in Kyabugimbi subcounty, Bushenyi district, southwestern Uganda

Abstract Banana production in Uganda is increasingly exposed to environmental and biological stressors that affect productivity and livelihood stability among smallholder farmers. Despite growing attention to climate-sensitive agriculture, there remains limited localized evidence on how farmers experience and interpret environmental hazards within banana-based production systems. This study examined farmer-reported biometeorological hazards and their perceived implications for banana production in Kyabugimbi subcounty, Bushenyi district, southwestern Uganda. A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was employed, combining household surveys with key informant interviews and contextual climate observations. Data were collected from 172 banana farmers and six key informants and analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis to characterize reported hazards, perceived impacts, and local response patterns. The findings indicate that drought was the most frequently reported hazard, followed by rainfall irregularities, wind-related disturbances, pests, and diseases. Farmers associated these stressors with reduced plantation vigor, irregular yields, moisture stress, crop damage, and increased production uncertainty. Spatial differences in hazard reporting suggest that local environmental conditions and management practices influence how production risks are experienced across the study area. The study demonstrates the value of farmer-reported knowledge in understanding environmental stress within smallholder banana systems and highlights the importance of integrating localized experiences into agricultural risk management. The findings provide contextually grounded evidence that may inform extension services and support future research combining household observations with environmental monitoring to strengthen understanding of agricultural vulnerability under variable environmental conditions.