Abstract

ROSALES MARTINEZ, Verónica et al. Citrus farmers’ perception of the effect of climate change in Campeche. Rev. Mex. Cienc. Agríc [online]. 2020, vol.11, n.4, pp.727-740.  Epub Sep 13, 2021. ISSN 2007-0934.  https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v11i4.1898.

In Mexico, citrus cultivation has a food, social and cultural importance that comes to govern family life and community dynamics in the regions where it occurs and that are being affected by climate change. The objective of this research was to measure the perception of citrus growers, faced with the effect of climate change. A participatory survey was applied to 65 citrus producers in Campeche. Variables on the occurrence of events associated with climate change, direct damage to plants, perception of the increase in meteorological phenomena, technological and socioeconomic change were measured. The surveyed are men (86.3%), of older age and basic education. 55% of the participants own common land and 44% have private property. The average yield of citrus fruits is low due to the lack of technical irrigation systems and the effects of climate change, particularly the increase in temperature and the decrease in precipitation. Producers have a total of seven types of crops on their plots, without correlation with the size of the property (r= 0.032), nor with the area destined for cultivation (r= 0.33). The 66.6% of the participants have heard about climate change being the source of information television. The 69.6% have perceived greater changes in the climate, which has motivated them to make changes in the type of tillage (McNemar.test χ2= 10.56, p< 0.01**). Thus, the effects of climate change are influencing the citrus management practices of the producers of Campeche; however, they are reactive actions, so research is required to quantify and assess the damages caused by this phenomenon and strategies are designed to counteract its effects in the medium and long term.

Keywords : changes; citriculture; climate; producers; vulnerability.