Farmers’ perceptions and adaptation strategies in facing climate change: A study of shallot farmers in Batu City, Indonesia

Department of Agribusiness, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Islam Malang, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: rianti.titis@unisma.ac.id

Abstract

Climate change is currently a challenge faced by farmers. Climate change has an impact on farming such as lower yields, more frequent pest and disease attacks, and unpredictable planting seasons. Therefore, farmers’ perceptions of climate change have a role in influencing their decisions about how to manage their land and crops. This study aims to investigate farmers’ perceptions of and responses to climate change. East Java’s Batu City served as the study’s location. Thirty shallot farmers participated in this trial, chosen at random. The analysis employed was qualitative descriptive. According to the analysis’s findings, 97% of farmers are aware of climate change and gather knowledge from various sources. Shallot farmers view climate change as a serious concern affecting crop harvests. Most Batu City’s shallot farmers are aware of and concur that weather-related variables, including wind, humidity, rainfall, and air temperature, significantly impact their shallot yield. To adjust to climate change, 73.3% of farmers decided to substitute other crops, and another 26.6% decided to keep growing shallots. To mitigate the effects of climate change and lower farming hazards, efforts must be made to strengthen farmers’ adaptive capacity.