The Influences of Climate Change on Cash Crops Production in Rotterdam and Kortberaadt Villages, East Bank Berbice, Guyana.

This paper examined the influences of climate change on cash crop production in Rotterdam and Kortberaadt Villages on the East Bank Berbice, Guyana. The research used a survey method incorporating questionnaires to obtain qualitative and quantitative data on influences of climate change on cash crop production in the study communities. Majority (41%) of the respondents indictaed they cultivated vegetables. The findings showed majority of the respondents strongly agreed that constant weather and agricultural droughts (81%) and excessive rainfall (63%) were primary influences of climate change on cash crop production in their community. Majority of the respondents agreed increase in pests and diseases (51.7%), decrease in water resources and soil moisture (50%), and flooding of farmlands (32.8%) were the primary impacts of climate change on cash crop production. As such, majority (84%) of the respondents stated they experienced economic loss due to the impacts of climate change. The findings indicated majority of the respondents agreed that the creation of water reservoirs for storage (69%), bank cutting to drain excess water (53.4%), and use of disease and pest resistant seedlings (35.6%) are useful in mitigating the impacts of climate change on cash crop production within the study communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]