Agro-climatic Characterization of Potato Production Areas in Rwanda: Meteorological Data Analysis and Farmer Perceptions

Abstract

From years ago, climate change effects are happening in different areas of the world, including Rwanda. Potato as one of main commodities grown mainly in the cooler and wetter highlands of Rwanda, its production could be facing the global warming. The purpose of this study is to carry out weather (temperature and rainfall) change dynamics in the potato growing zones of Rwanda over the last thirty years. Weather daily data from 1987 to 2016 were collected from three weather stations, at Kawangire for low elevation, at Gikongoro mid elevation, and at Kora high elevation, respectively. Farmers were interviewed to know their perceptions on weather conditions during past thirty years. Weather data were analyzed by ombrothermic diagram, Nickolson Index and graphing with generated trend equation methods. Interview data were analyzed with Chi-square test at P =.05.  Results have shown as dry June, July and August months in low elevation; June, July and August in medium elevation and June and July in high elevation depending on decade. Rainfall was increasing in low and medium elevations, while it was decreasing in high elevation. Temperature was decreasing in low elevation area and it was increasing in medium and high elevation areas. All interviewed farmers confirmed long term-shift in temperature and precipitations. A total of 95%, 54% and 43% of farmers from respectively low, medium and high elevations reported that weather was becoming wetter during last years. As conclusion, potato growing cooler and wetter conditions of high elevation are shifting to low elevation in Rwanda. For climate change mitigation, Rwanda needs to promote potato in its Eastern part, the low elevation region, in order to increase the crop production in the future.