Improving agricultural decision making using weather and climate information for farmers, south-western Free State, South Africa

Gugulethu NC Zuma-Netshiukhwi, Kees CJ Stigter and Sue Walker

Net Journal of Agricultural Science
Published: December 7 2016
Volume 4, Issue 4
Pages 67-77

Abstract

Science based knowledge and services related to weather forecasts, climate predictions and establishment of other knowledge based climate services make farmers more climate resilient. Various farmers in the south-western Free State and other parts of South Africa, among many others, are highly vulnerable to the impact of an increasingly variable climate. Furthermore, weather and climate influence both animal production and agronomic production. Occurrences of extreme climate events, such as floods, droughts, severe storms threaten the agricultural sector’s food security and economic growth. Farmers in the south-western Free State lack access to informed tailor-made weather and climate knowledge and other simple climate services. Such services are critical to guide farmers to make well-informed decisions about matters such as when to prepare the land, when to plant, what to plant, pest and insect management, fertilizer applications, grazing camp management, installation of correct shelters, breed tolerance. This study provided training on the application of weather forecasts and climate predictions and other services made available assists farmers to improve their resilience to climate change and its consequences. Increasing platforms of knowledge exchange and sharing and of cooperation in applications between key stakeholders would have an appreciable positive influence on yields and food security. Thus, farmers who participated and adopted weather forecasts, climate predictions and other science based information for decision making had better yield comparing to those who were not part of the study. In this study, efforts were made to engage with farmers, knowledge producers (weather and other environmental services agencies, universities, research institutes) and extension to apply new knowledge with farmers and to create better understanding of the application of agrometeorological information for improved decision making.

Keywords: Agriculture, decision making, application, advisories.

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