ADAPTATION STRATEGIES BY THE FARMERS TO MITIGATE DROUGT IN NORTHERN BANGLADESH

Abstract

The main purpose of the study were to determine and describe the selected characteristics of the farmers, to determine the adaptation strategies by the farmers to mitigate drought, to explore the relationship between selected characteristics of farmers and adaptation strategies to drought by them and to determine the extent of problem faced by the farmers to mitigate drought and suggestions to overcome the same. The study was conducted in Panchagarh sadar upazila under Panchagarh district. Ninety four (94) farmers were selected as sample from a recent list of 625 drought prone farmers using simple random sampling method. Data were collected from the sampled farmers by using a pre-tested interview schedule during 12 August to 19 September 2016. Besides the usual descriptive statistical parameter, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (r) was also used for the statistical analysis. Among seventeen selected adaptation strategies to mitigate drought in the study area “Use of drought tolerant variety” was the highest with adaptation strategies to drought mitigation (ASDM) of 204 and it was followed by ‘Relay cropping” (ASDMI= 182). Exact fifty (50.0) percent of the respondents followed medium adaptation strategies, while 34.0 percent of them high adaptation and 16.0 percent low adaptation strategy to drought mitigation. Computed ‘r’ value indicated that farm size, annual income, extension media contact, organizational participation, innovativeness and agricultural knowledge had positive significant relationship with their adaptation strategies to drought mitigation. ‘Crops fails to mature timely’ emerged as the most important problem mentioned by the farmers with PFI value of 112. The highest proportion (75.59 percent) of the farmers opined “Use of drought tolerant varieties” as an important mean to overcome the problem.