Vol. 10, Special Issue 10 (2021)

Author(s):
Gawhare Atul Anil, Prakash Singh Badal, Rohit Shelar and Avdhesh Sharma

Abstract:
The impacts of climate change are seen everywhere in the world, but countries like India are more vulnerable because of their large population and huge dependence on agriculture. Climate change has significant economic effects on agriculture including changes in farm productivity, cropping pattern, profitability, price, supply, and trade. The impacts of climate change vary from region to region so its perception changes accordingly. Farmers’’ perception of climate change is a key component determining their adoption behavior. Farmers’ tend to perceive changes in climate variables to different degrees. The present study focused on the perceptions of climate change in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra state. The primary data was collected from 45 farmers’ in the district through a structured interview schedule. The perception of farmers’ has been recorded by asking the response on a two-point continuum on ten different parameters. The results of the study indicated that the majority of farmers’ i.e above 70% perceived a decrease in crop yield, change in rain cycle, an outbreak of pests and diseases, an increase in temperature, and a decrease in the water table. Interestingly, Less than 30% of farmers’’ perceived a decrease in soil fertility and change in cropping patterns.