. Effects of climate variability on the productivity of main cereal crops and adaptation strategies in Becho woreda, South West Shoa zone.

This study investigated climate change and its impact on agricultural productivity and farmers' adaptation techniques in Becho Woreda, Ethiopia. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used for analysis. In the study,244 respondents as well as meteorological data from 1991 to 2020 were used. According to the demographic study, 63.93% of respondents were in the productive age range (31–45 years), and 64.75% of respondents were female. They were more susceptible to climate events because 83.2% of them relied on rain-fed agriculture and a sizable portion (32.79%) were illiterate. While temperatures exhibited statistically significant increases (p < 0.0001), climate trends showed high interannual rainfall variability (CV = 33.8%) along with a non-significant falling trend. Farmers' impressions matched weather data, with 52.87% observing higher temperatures and 54.9% reporting less rainfall. These changes were associated with varying cereal crop yields, especially during years that were prone to drought in 2008/09. The main obstacles were insufficient extension services (23.77%), poor irrigation infrastructure (29.92%), and restricted access to climate information (33.61%). Among the adaptation approaches that farmers implemented were Crop diversification, soil conservation, and modified planting schedules. Effective adaptation was hampered by structural obstacles such as gender inequality, poverty, and landlessness, with 84% of landless households reporting significant vulnerability. To increase resilience in rain-fed agricultural systems, the study emphasizes the necessity of focused interventions, such as better climate information distribution, irrigation development, and gender-inclusive adaptation activities.