PERCEPTIONS OF SMALL-SCALE MAIZE FARMERS ON CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN HHOHHO, MANZINI AND SHISELWENI REGIONS OF THE KINGDOM OF ESWATINI

The study examined the perceptions of small-scale maize farmers in the Kingdom of eSwatini regarding the impacts of climate change. These perceptions were assessed by means of a five-point Likert scale; 59% of the respondents strongly agreed and 41% agreed that climate change has a significant influence on maize production and low yield. Multi-stage sampling involving purposive and random sampling was used in the study. The study was based on data from 188 small-scale maize farmers supplying the National Maize Corporation (NMC) depots in eSwatini Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyse the data, and four factors that farmers perceived as influencing climate change were identified. The conclusion reached was that any adaptation strategies developed by smallholder maize farmers to combat climate change were largely influenced by the farmers' perceptions of climate change.