Rice Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptations to Precipitation and Temperature Variability in Trieu Phong District, Vietnam

Precipitation and temperature variability (PTV) can generate considerable risks for agricultural production internationally. Agricultural production in Central Vietnam heavily depends on rice production, which is directly impacted by PTV. In order to facilitate the adoption of PTV adaptation practices by rice farmers, it is important to understand their perspectives of PTV. However, few empirical studies have considered how farmers perceive PTV in Central Vietnam. The main objective of this research is to investigate rice farmers’ attitudes towards PTV and their adaptation practices in rice fields in a typical agricultural district in Central Vietnam. A random sampling strategy was used to select 182 rice farmers for interviews and a structured questionnaire was developed to collect data. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were used. The research results show that most farmers had experienced PTV. They perceived that PTV increased labour costs in rice fields, farming losses, the costs of pest/weed control and the costs of water management. This research concluded that farmers were adopting local adaptation practices to lessen negative impacts of PTV on their rice production. Adaptation practices identified include: 1) dredging and restoration of irrigation canals; 2) planting drought resistant varieties of rice; 3) planting rice earlier; and 4) using wells and water pumps for irrigation. The research results indicate that farmers’ age, education, gender, agricultural practices and training participation influence their perceptions of PTV