Özet:

The study aimed to understand how farmers perceive seasonal climate events (SCE) and assess the impact on farming and how farmers’ attitudes and efforts to adapt in dealing with SCE. This study was conducted in Kuantan Singingi Regency, Riau Province, Indonesia, in August - December 2020. Total of 297 farmers was selected purposively to be interviewed. Descriptive statistics analysis was used to analyze socio-demographics, farm characteristics, the impact of SCE on rice production, and farmers’ responses in adapting to SCE as an effect of climate change. Friedman’s test was used to analyzed the importance of climate over other non-climate-related stressors. Ordinal regression analysis was performed for the determination of possible association of farmers’ socio-demographics and farm characteristics to the perceived extent of SCE impact. Flood was the climatic factor that most often caused rice production failure. Farming experience, education, gender, farm size, cultivation period, rice varieties, land management, fertilization, rice field type, and farming purpose have a significant effect on farmers' perceptions of SCE impact. Adjusting the planting season, the use of chemical fertilizers, and controlling pests and diseases were the most dominant responses by farmers in dealing with SCE. Implications: The availability of weather information must be done massively, induction of flood-tolerant varieties needs to be carried out, female farmers with higher education and long experience in farming can be used as cadres as extension officers to farmer groups, planting twice a year was an option to increase rice production, the number of farmers get assistance from extension officers could be increased.

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