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Using locally captured climatic information for guiding local-level agriculturalists in Africa: a case study of Makonde district in Zimbabwe

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 9; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/1747423x.2012.758787

1747-4248

Seth Mberego, Sanga‐Ngoie Kazadi,

Agricultural risk and resilience

Precipitation variability poses significant risks to people's livelihoods, especially in semi-arid countries whose economies rely on rain-fed agriculture. Agricultural decision making and land use planning during the growing season can be enhanced by agro-meteorological applications such as response farming. Using Makonde District in Zimbabwe as a case study, this study investigates how locally captured precipitation data are used for local-level agricultural advisory services. We find that though abundant climatic information is being captured locally, this information is not effectively accessible to local farmers. Local agricultural extension personnel are also limited in their ability to derive the benefits of the available data and they rely mainly on sensory perceptions. Precipitation analysis results showing inter-annual variability and correlations with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) highlight the potential of response farming in this region. A participatory approach is recommended involving university scientists practicing agro-meteorology, farmers, and agricultural extension. Training extension personnel in agro-meteorology is recommended.