Using a factor analysis to understand climate adaptation barriers impeding smallholder tomato farmers in the Offinso North District, Ghana

Abstract

Smallholders’ adaptation barriers using quantitative techniques are sparse in literature. This study focused on the barriers impeding smallholder tomato farmers’ adaptation strategies in the Offinso North District (OND) of Ghana. The analysis was performed using factor analysis and Crombach’s Alpha coefficient. A total of 378 smallholder tomato farmers were randomly sampled for a face-to-face interview in the OND of Ghana. Using the quantitative factor analytical approach to analyse farmers’ adaptation barriers will help provide a clear direction on the strategic ways of addressing the imperative constraints that hinder tomato growers’ adaptive capacity to increase tomato food security in tomato producing communities. From the factor analysis results, the study concludes that personal barriers, institutional and labour barriers, irrigation technology barriers, inadequate credit and farm inputs barriers, cost of land barriers, facility barriers and lack of political will barriers are major barriers that impede tomato farmers’ adaptive strategies. Also, the study revealed that age (P < 0.05), gender (P < 0.05) and marital status (P < 0.05) are major determinants that influence the barriers tomato farmers encounter in their adaptive responses to climate variability. The findings point out the need for government and development partners including non-governmental organizations to enhance the adaptive capacities of farmers through the provision of adequate credit facilities and other farming logistics to build farmers’ resilience to increase tomato production in the OND of Ghana.