FARMERS’ NEED FOR CLIMATE SERVICES AND INFORMATION FOR AGRICULTURAL DECISION-MAKING IN NORTH-CENTRAL NAMIBIA

This study aims to identify farmers' needs for climate and agricultural information, assess effectiveness of its delivery channels, and explore role of technology and mobile applications in improving access to climate services and enhancing agricultural adaptation. This is achieved through collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from selected villages in Oshana and Omosati. Results show that majority of farmers in Oshana and Omosati are women (55.5%), and most have a secondary education or higher. Their ages range from young to middle-aged. They face significant challenges, including limited financing (51.7%), high production costs (29.1%), poor weather forecasting (75.5%), and prevalence of crop diseases (79.5%). They struggle to use mobile phones due to cost, weak network coverage, and a lack of training. Farmers need information on soil preparation (87%), fertilizers (81.5%), pesticide application (78.8%), resource management, and crop selection. They request comprehensive weather and climate data, with regional variations in some indicators. They primarily use radio (84.2%) and neighbours (67.8%) for information, while reliance on mobile phones (41.8%), computers (14.4%), and television (28.1%) is increasing.The study concludes that farmers need diverse climate services and information and communication technology tools, but they lack appropriate devices. They rely on soil and climate information to determine timing of land preparation, planting, fertilization, and pesticide management, and they often access this information via smartphones. It recommends educating farmers and providing them with timely and appropriate climate information, disseminating rainfall forecasts using accessible technologies, and supporting policies to enhance effectiveness of agricultural extension services.