Constraints hindering farmers' adaptation strategies for reducing farm vulnerability in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat

Introduction

Agriculture remains one of the most climate-sensitive sectors worldwide and is increasingly exposed to climatic uncertainties such as erratic rainfall, prolonged dry spells, rising temperatures and frequent extreme weather events. These changes have significantly affected agricultural productivity, farm income and livelihood security, particularly in semi-arid regions. In India, where agriculture continues to support a large proportion of the rural population, climate variability has intensified production risks and increased the vulnerability of farming communities. Adaptation has emerged as one of the most effective approaches to reducing climate-induced risks. Farmers adopt various adaptation measures including micro-irrigation, crop diversification, integrated nutrient management, integrated pest management, soil moisture conservation practices and improved crop management technologies to minimize production losses. However, despite the availability of these adaptation options, their adoption remains uneven due to several socio-economic, institutional and technological constraints. Several empirical studies have demonstrated that farmers' adaptation decisions are influenced by institutional support, education, access to credit, extension services and climate information. Deressa et al. (2009) [2] reported that crop diversification, irrigation, soil conservation and changing planting dates were the major adaptation measures adopted by farmers, while access to extension services, education and institutional credit significantly enhanced adaptation behaviour. Similarly, Pokiya et al. (2024) [7] observed that education, farm income, extension agency contact, government support and access to credit positively influenced the adoption of farm vulnerability adaptation strategies among cotton and groundnut growers in Gujarat. Despite the growing recognition of climate change and the increasing adoption of climate-resilient agricultural practices, empirical evidence on the constraints limiting farmers' adaptation strategies in the Saurashtra region remains limited. Identifying and prioritizing these constraints is essential for formulating location-specific interventions that enhance farmers' adaptive capacity and promote sustainable agricultural development under changing climatic conditions. The Saurashtra region of Gujarat represents one of the most climate-vulnerable agricultural regions because of its www.extensionjournal.com dependence on monsoon rainfall, recurrent droughts and limited irrigation resources. Although farmers have increasingly recognized the need for adaptation, several barriers continue to hinder effective adoption. Understanding these constraints is essential for designing appropriate policies aimed at improving climate resilience. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to identify and prioritize the major constraints hindering adaptation strategies among farm households in the Saurashtra region.

Materials and Methods

Study area

The study was conducted in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Based on the farm vulnerability analysis, Junagadh and Jamnagar districts were purposively selected for the primary survey.

Sampling procedure

A multistage sampling technique was adopted. A total of 240 farm households were selected, comprising 120 respondents each from Junagadh and Jamnagar districts. Information was collected through personal interviews using a well-structured and pre-tested interview schedule.

Analytical Technique

A total of eleven constraints associated with the adoption of adaptation strategies were identified through the field survey and expert consultation. Farmers were requested to rank these constraints according to their perceived severity. The Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) method developed by Sabarathnam (1988) was used to analyse the constraints faced by farmers in adopting adaptation strategies. The RBQ was computed using the following formula:

Where, F i = Frequency of the farmers perceiving the i th ranked constraint; N = Number of farm respondents; n = Number of constraints perceived; and i = Rank of the constraint.

Based on the computed RBQ values, the identified constraints were arranged in descending order, with the constraint having the highest RBQ value assigned the first rank, followed by the remaining constraints in descending order of their RBQ values. The Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) values were computed using Microsoft Excel.

Results and Discussion

Constraints hindering adaptation strategies

The adoption of climate adaptation strategies is influenced by several production, institutional, technological and socioeconomic constraints. The Rank Based Quotient analysis indicated that farmers encountered multiple barriers while adopting climate-resilient agricultural practices. Although the overall ranking pattern remained largely similar across the two study districts, certain variations were observed. Farmers in Junagadh perceived financial constraints more severely than those in Jamnagar, whereas respondents from Jamnagar assigned relatively higher importance to small operational landholdings and inadequate access to timely weather information. These differences may be attributed to variations in resource availability, production environments and institutional support across the two districts.

The present findings are consistent with those of Adger et al.

(2007) [1] , who reported that economic inequality, weak www.extensionjournal.com institutional arrangements and limited social capital substantially restrict farmers' adaptive capacity. Likewise, Nhemachena and Hassan (2007) [6] observed that inadequate institutional credit, poor extension services and lack of climate information significantly constrained farmers' adoption of adaptation strategies, emphasizing the need for stronger institutional support to improve resilience. Similar institutional and financial constraints were also evident in the present investigation. The present findings further corroborate those of Moser and Ekstrom (2010) [4] , who categorized adaptation barriers into cognitive, institutional, resource and political dimensions and concluded that fragmented policies, limited technical expertise and inadequate institutional coordination significantly hinder adaptation efforts. Similarly, Reidsma et al. (2010) [8] reported that knowledge gaps, institutional rigidity and market-related constraints restrict the adoption of climate adaptation practices. These observations support the need for integrated institutional and policy interventions to facilitate farmers' adaptation to climate variability. The results are also in agreement with Uddin et al. (2014) [11] , who reported that education, income, farm size and cooperative participation significantly influenced farmers' adaptive behaviour under changing climatic conditions. Likewise, Fadoju (2022) [3] demonstrated that transaction costs, repayment capacity, land ownership and off-farm income substantially affected farmers' access to institutional credit, thereby limiting investment in improved agricultural technologies and adaptation measures. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening financial services and institutional support for promoting adaptation among farm households. Similarly, Suhaeb and Tamrin (2024) [10] emphasized that successful climate adaptation requires community participation, stakeholder collaboration and locally appropriate adaptation strategies. Mwenje and Kumar (2024) [5] also highlighted the importance of integrating climate adaptation into development planning through coordinated institutional mechanisms and enhanced climate awareness to strengthen long-term resilience. These recommendations are highly relevant for the Saurashtra region, where coordinated institutional support is essential for improving farmers' adaptive capacity. The present findings also closely resemble those reported by Sarkar et al. (2010) [9] , who identified extreme poverty, lack of education, inadequate knowledge of adaptation practices, poor access to weather forecasting information and limited awareness regarding climate change as the major constraints affecting farmers' adaptive capacity in the Sundarbans region of India. The authors emphasized participatory planning, resource conservation and institutional support as effective strategies for strengthening resilience against climate change, which are equally relevant in the context of the present study.

Policy implication

References

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