CLIMATE INFORMATION SERVICES AND ITS DETERMINANTS AMONGSMALLHOLDERFARMERSINSIDAMAREGION,SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA MATHESIS.

Abstract

Climate information services (CIS) play a crucial role in climate adaptation strategies by mitigating climate-related risks and assisting smallholder farmers in their decision-making. This study explored the current status of CIS and the factors affecting its utilization among smallholder farmers in the Sidama region of Ethiopia. A mixed-methods approach was used, which included household surveys, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and field observations. Multi-sampling techniques were utilized to select woredas, kebeles, and households, with three woredas chosen purposively based on agro-ecological criteria and six kebeles selected through simple random sampling. A systematic random sampling method was applied to gather data from 384 households. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, qualitatively analysis, chi-square tests, and a binary logistic regression model. The results indicated a moderate overall status of CIS in the study area, with 50.8% of farmers having access to these services, though utilization of CIS was low only 33.9% actively utilized them. The primary sources of CIS included agricultural extension officers, radio, television, mobile phones, peer farmers, and village leaders. Access to and use of climate information services (CIS) differ considerably among the agro-ecological zones. In the Kolla zone, around 39.6% of households make use of CIS, whereas the Woinadega zone has a lower engagement rate of 36.9%, and the Dega zone trails further behind, with only 18.9% of households utilizing these services. The study reveals that climate information services (CIS) significantly enhance farm management decisions among smallholder farmers. The main factors determining the utilization of CIS among smallholder farmers included education level, age, size of the farm, availability of credit, access to extension services, weather information, social protection services, income level, market access, and trust in the information provided. To enhance productivity, stakeholders such as the government, meteorological agencies, and agricultural extension services should focus on improving the availability, accessibility, reliability, and utilization of CIS.