Evaluation of Climate Variability Impacts and Adaptation Strategies as Drivers of Banana Value Chain Development Within Mount Kenya Region

Spatial and temporal dimensions of banana value chain processes globally have been impacted by past changes in climate. Research conducted on role played by climate variability on banana value chain has mainly focused on socio economic aspects of banana production with little concern on the effect of climate variability and adaptation strategies in banana value chain development. Hence, there is limited understanding of the relationship that exist between climate variability impacts and respective adaptation strategies in banana value chain, which this study sought to establish. The study purposed to evaluate how climate variability impacts and respective adaptation strategies drive banana value chain development within the Mt. Kenya region. The study specific objectives were to: establish trends and impacts of climate variability on banana value chain development within the Mt. Kenya region between 1980-2017; determine banana farmers’ perceptions of climate variability impacts on respective banana value chain stages; establish how climate variability adaptation strategies influence banana production; and determine the extent to which rainfall and temperature trends affect developments in banana value chain. The study hypothesized that climate variability perceptions and adaptation strategies influence banana value chain development. The study was guided by the Action Theory of Adaptation to Climate Change. Triangulation research design was used to guide the study by integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection and analysis. The sites were purposively selected to include Imenti south and Mukurweini sub-counties where banana production has been practiced since the 1980s. A sample size of 381 respondents was identified using simple random sampling. Field survey techniques were used in the collection of data which was analysed using SPSS v21 statistical package. Study findings showed that rainfall and temperature had changed over the target study period. The annual change in temperature in Mukurweini sub-county for the study period was 0.020C while in Imenti South Sub County it was 0.0160C. During this period, the study revealed that 43% of the farmers had changed the type of crop cultivated. Seventy nine percent of the respondents perceived climate variability in the region. Adverse effects of climate variability on banana value chain were reported as decline in yields, high transport cost, low market prices and limited value addition. Logit model was used to determine the socioeconomic factors influencing farmers’ perception and choice of adaptation strategy to climate change. The model was significant at p<0.01 for adopters or non-adopters. Gender of household head, type of farming system and access to weather information were significant in explaining the farmers’ perception to climate change. Irrigation and crop diversification were the most preferred adaptation strategies to climate variability. Banana acreage and production in both sub-counties have been increasing in the period between 2009 and 2017. The results of the study showed that improvement in banana value addition, access to credit facilities, irrigation facilities, information on weather information and market information is necessary for the smallholders’ farmers in the region. The study recommends that county governments should develop and integrate value chain development concerns in reference to climate variability and adaptation in their agricultural and agribusiness policies. Farmers in the region should also be enlightened on best farming practices that are adaptive to climate variability. Moreover, further research on climate variability and banana value chain developments is required