Volume 11, Issue 24, July - December 2025

Determinants of rice farmers adaptive capacity to flooding for sustainable production in Benue State, Nigeria

Charles Ekene Udoye^1♦, Ochanya Deborah Uloko¹

¹Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding author
Charles Ekene Udoye, Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

The study examined determinants of rice farmers adaptive capacity to flooding for sustainable production in Benue State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was used in the selection of eighty (80) rice farmers. Data was collected using structured interview schedule. Data was analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Results show that the indicators that best described the determinant (economic resources D1) of farmers adaptive capacity were income diversification increases adaptive capacity (91.3%) and remittances received by farmers (77.5%), while More access to family/household labor (81.3%) best described the determinant, social capital (D2). Results show that the indicators useful in assessing the determinant, economic resources were; income diversification increases adaptive capacity (𝑥̅=3.25; SD= 0.854) and remittance received by farmers enhances adaptive capacity (𝑥̅=3.11; SD= 0.816). Data show that economic resources with 74.45 score was identified as the most relevant determinant of rice farmers adaptive capacity to flooding, followed by technology (70.60). Result show that the farmers’ adaption measures to flooding include: diversification of sources of income (𝑥̅=3.85) and construction of adequate flood water storage capacity (𝑥̅=.2.62). Government and non-governmental organizations should prioritize interventions that would enhance rice farmers adaptive capacity to flooding by strengthening economic resources which will in turn aid their diversification of income and access to remittances, in addition to provision of facilities for floodwater storage.

Keywords: Rice Farmers; Determinants of Adaptive Capacity to Flooding

Discovery Agriculture, 2025, 11, e19da3159

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Published: 11 October 2025