Clarifying the Role of Drought Adaptation Strategies on Changing Farming Mode by Livestock Farmers: Evidence from Komijan Township, Iran

The current empirical research was conducted to investigate the impact of drought on livestock production with the main objective of studying the role of adaptation strategies in the process of changing the farming mode from crop-oriented to livestock-oriented by farmers in Komijan Township, Iran. Komijan has been facing a long period of drought that has affected farming systems of the area. Primary data were collected through interview using a questionnaire. The statistical population of the study consisted of livestock farmers in the area (N= 1,000), out of which 200 people were selected. The participants in research were interviewed using simple random sampling and Descriptive–Correlation research method. Logistic regression was used as the main statistical technique. Logit function with an odds ratio of 70.4% showed that strategies of shifting livestock as well as production management were the main responses of the farmers to drought conditions. Those farmers with a high level of perceived vulnerability were more capable of adapting themselves to drought than the others. Hence, perceived vulnerability is associated with production or farming mode.