The impact of climate change on maize yields and its variability in Telangana, India: A panel approach study

Abstract

The present study explores the effect of climate change on maize yields and its variance in Telangana utilizing Just–Pope production function, spanning the period 1956–2015. The three-step feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) method is employed to estimate the Just and Pope production function. The empirical results of the work reveal that the average minimum temperature has a significant unfavorable effect on maize yield in Telangana. Maximum temperature and actual rainfall are positively related with maize yield; however, the maximum temperature is not statistically significant. Furthermore, rainfall and minimum temperature are risk-shrinking factors, but the maximum temperature is a risk-enhancing factor for maize yields during the study period. The study results have key implications for developing suitable local level adaptation policies in Telangana.