Farmers’ Perception Regarding Natural Hazards and Impact on Food Productivity: Evidence from Rice-Wheat Cropping Zone of Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Globally, climatic vulnerabilities and natural hazards adversely affect crop productivity and food security. The yield of major crops in Pakistan is badly affected by natural adversaries, which is a source of poverty. It is predicted that the near future food insecurity issue can prevail in Pakistan due to these hazards. Due to climatic and natural hazards, a decline in agricultural productivity affects the farming community, manufacturing, and business sectors through a multiplier effect. The study was designed during 2020 to assess the farmers’ perceptions regarding the impact of natural hazards on food crop production in the Rice-Wheat cropping zone of Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected from 540 farmers using Multistage Random Sampling Technique (MRST). The study ranked natural hazards based on the mean score of the Likert Scale of farmers’ perceptions. Food productivity was adversely prone to flood, insect infestation, biological diseases, extreme heat, wind storms in summer, hailstorms, and heatwaves. However, there was a positive impact of humidity on food production. So, appropriate policies should be formulated to mitigate the antagonistic impact of natural hazards on rice-wheat production, ensuring food security via increasing food production (availability) and income (accessibility).