DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES FOR SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN TARABA STATE, NIGERIA: A COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH

This study developed and evaluated climate-smart agricultural (CSA) extension services for smallholder farmers in Southern Taraba State, Nigeria, using a community-based approach. The study specifically examined farmers’ socioeconomic characteristics, developed a participatory extension framework and evaluated its effectiveness. Primary data were obtained through structured questionnaires and key informant interviews using a multi-stage sampling technique to sampled 138 respondents across the five Local Government Areas. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation) and thematic analysis. The results revealed that 55.8% of farmers were within the economically active age group of 21–40 years, with a mean age of 38 years, while 63% were male. About 76.1% cultivated not less than one hectare, and 79.7% earned between ₦100 and ₦100,000 monthly, indicating limited financial capacity. Evaluation results indicated that 81.9% of farmers reported improved adaptive capacity, with observed benefits including yield improvement (29.7%) and reduced losses (24.6%). Farmers perception for developing community-based climate smart practices showed indigenous soil management, mulching, use of organic manure, traditional crop varieties and local weather predication should be incorporated. The study concludes that while smallholder farmers in Southern Taraba show promising levels of awareness and adoption of climate‑smart agricultural (CSA) practices, their capacity to fully benefit from these innovations is constrained by socioeconomic limitations such as low income, restricted access to credit, small landholdings, and gender disparities. It is therefore recommended that extension programs adopt inclusive, community-based approaches that integrate indigenous knowledge, strengthen farmer participation, and improve access to affordable inputs and climate information to enhance sustainable adoption of CSA practices.