Farmers' Perceptions of Temperature and Rainfall Changes: A Descriptive Comparison of Four Villages in Cilacap Regency, Indonesia

Climate variability poses important challenges for farm management, but farmers' interpretations of changing weather conditions may differ across locations. This study describes perceived temperature and rainfall changes among 100 farmers in four villages of Cilacap Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The sample comprised 25 farmers from each of Cilopadang and Boja villages in Majenang District and Sidamulya and Penyarang villages in Sidareja District. Questionnaire-derived summary scores for four perception indicators were compared descriptively between the two district-based groups. The reported scores were identical for perceived temperature change (80.8 in each group). Majenang respondents had higher reported scores for hotter temperatures (86.4 versus 80.0), changes in rainfall (84.4 versus 80.8), and reduced rainfall (82.8 versus 79.2). The corresponding differences were 6.4, 3.6, and 3.6 score points, respectively. These differences represent descriptive comparisons of questionnaire-derived scores within the sampled villages and do not establish statistical significance, independently observed climatic trends, or differences in agricultural impacts. Further research incorporating transparent questionnaire scoring procedures, meteorological observations, and broader geographical sampling is needed to investigate the relationship between farmers' perceptions and observed climatic conditions.