The study examined the effects of weather changing patterns on food security in smallholder households in Bukiro Sub County, Mbarara District. The objectives of the study were to a) assess the effects of weather changing patterns on food accessibility among households; b) assess the effects of weather changing patterns on food stability; c) determine the effects of weather changing patterns on food utilization and d) determine the mitigation measures for the effects of changing weather patterns on food security among households in Bukiro Sub County.
The study utilized quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis where information was obtained using questionnaires surveys on 346 smallholder farmers and interviews on key informants (10). The collected data was analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 26, presented in frequency tables and charts and interpreted accordingly.
The study findings revealed that weather changing patterns, specifically the parameters of heavy rains and storms had a significant effect on food accessibility(p<0.05). Households that experienced heavy rains and storms faced difficulties in accessing food. The study findings also revealed that weather changing patterns, specifically late onset of rains and heavy rains and storms had a significant effect on food stability in Bukiro sub county(p<0.05). Findings further established that weather changing patterns, specifically late onset of rains had a significant effect on food utilisation in Bukiro sub county (p<0.05).Households that experienced it utilized the food they had due to uncertainties on how the rains would last and their intensity to cause need to grow crops.
The study concluded that late onset of rains and heavy rains and storms are the changing weather patterns with the most significant threat to food security in Bukiro Sub County. The study recommended that weather resistant crops should be grown so as to minimize crop damages that come with unexpected weather changing patterns to improving food production. The study further recommended that people should increase on climate smart practices, ecological land use management practices and improved post-harvest handling technologies as a mitigation measure to heavy and stormy rains because few smallholder farmers were using them. The researcher also recommended effective capacity building to strengthen the most vulnerable groups in agricultural production, who are usually the smallholder farmers, with requisite knowledge and information necessary for weather change mitigation and adaptation.