Impact of Drought on Tomato Production in Bal’ad, Somalia

This study investigated the impact of drought on tomato production, the three major objectives of the research were to evaluate the causes of drought on tomato production, to assess the constraints of drought on tomato farmers, to suggest possible solutions to manage drought on tomato production. The study found that drought has negative impact on farmers, pastoralists, and other communities that depend on these two sectors, the data was collected from BALCAD by using questionnaire and analyzed statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 16.0 After analyzing answers of the respondents from the questions asked in the questionnaire, The study found that drought on tomato production is caused by factors like precipitation deficiency, climate change, and human activities, leading to negative impacts on farmers and ranchers, reduced crop production, and unemployment among agricultural laborers, with suggested solutions including early warning systems and government support. The study concludes that drought, driven by factors like precipitation deficiency, climate change, and human activities, has significant adverse effects on tomato production, leading to reduced yields, unemployment, and migration among farmers in the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia. The study recommends establishing early warning systems, promoting water harvesting techniques, distributing drought-resistant seeds, improving irrigation infrastructure, conducting farmer awareness programs, providing alternative livelihood skills training, and increasing budgetary allocations for drought relief measures to enhance tomato producers' climate resilience and food security in BALCAD.