Farmers' Perceptions of Climate Change Impacts on Fruit Farming in Paktia Province, Afghanistan

Abstract

Agricultural production in Afghanistan faces significant challenges due to climate change, resulting in reduced fruit production. Recently, drought, increasing temperatures, floods, erratic rainfall, and changing rainfall patterns have severely affected fruit production across the country. Farmers’ perceptions of climate change impacts are important for policymakers and agricultural planners; however, they are essential but not sufficient for developing effective adaptation policies. This study aimed to investigate farmers’ perceptions of climate change effects on fruit farm operations in Paktia Province, Afghanistan. A total of 271 in-person interviews were conducted across four districts of the study area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a random sampling technique. Descriptive statistical analysis Chi-square tests was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. The results revealed that farmers perceived drought and increasing temperatures as the major climate-related factors affecting fruit yield, fruit quality, fruit ripening, and overall fruit production. Furthermore, farmers perceived that climate change had significant pre-harvest impacts, including changes in fruit shape, colour, taste, and increased fruit drop, as well as post-harvest impacts related to fruit losses, storage, marketing, and packaging. Chi-square analysis revealed that most socio-demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with farmers’ perceptions of climate change impacts, although education level showed a significant association with perceived fruit size and quality reduction due to increasing temperature.These findings highlight the need for improved climate adaptation strategies, efficient water management, and strengthened agricultural extension services to enhance the resilience of fruit production systems.