Climate Change Challenges and Knowledge Gaps in Smallholder Potato Production: The Case of Mauche Ward in Nakuru County, Kenya

Abstract

This paper explores the climate change challenges, adaptation strategies and knowledge gaps in smallholder potato production in Mauche Ward of Nakuru County, Kenya. Understanding climate change challenges is important in the efforts to build resilience and enhance adaptation among smallholder farmers. Simple random sampling was used to select 150 smallholder potato farmers to participate in a household survey and data analyzed using SPSS. To triangulate the findings, purposive sampling was used to select 76 potato value chain (VC) stakeholders to participate in a brainstorming session in a workshop. Results showed that ncreasing rainfall is reported but the onset is unpredictable.Excess water runoff damages the road network and transportation of potatoes to the market is expensive. Increasing rainfall also causes severe soil erosion on the farms hence reduced soil fertility as well as rampant incidence of potato pests and diseases which calls for further investment on pesticides and fungicides. Results further indicate that flood increase affects quality of water sources which has a negative impact on human health and expected returns to agriculture. However, the household survey respondents lacked a clear perception of the indicators of climate change. They exhibited inability to obtain climate change information from available sources. There was evidence of lack of training and unclear knowledge acquisition on climate change given that a majority of the respondents (50.7 %) reported not having received any training. The study recommends involvement of farmers in collective learning processes to develop and integrate crop, soil and water management intensification strategies. This ensures sustainability of climate change adaptation efforts in smallholder potato production. Any efforts to address climate change challenges in smallholder potato production must be complemented by investments in rural transportation infrastructure and storage facilities.