Agricultural Extension Approaches and Climate Change Communication Within the Ndop Rice Sector, North West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

Climate change communication is a pre-requisite for proper adaptation. This article seeks to examine the agricultural extension approaches used in the Ndop rice sector within the context of climate variability and change. Using a mixed research approach, questionnaires were administered to 216 purposively sampled rice farmers, interviews conducted with 16 extension agents and three focus group discussions were organized. Results revealed that extension workers have been using farm demonstrations, capacity building of farmers through training and participatory approaches. However, these approaches have proven to be limited and inefficient. Challenges in climate change communication are attributed to factors such as; low ratio of extension workers to rice farmers, inadequate communication in the mass media (7.14%), no access to internet (4.17%), low competencies of extension staffs (68.75%) and limited access to weather elements. Given that climate change communication is complex and requires a mastery of the climatic systems, the extension services need to continuously upgrade capacities of their staffs and strengthen the link between research institutions, extension workers and farmers.