Abstract
This study assesses the adaptation of smallholder farmers to climate extremes and its contributing factors in Zambia " s southern province. The study employed primary data collected from 270 smallholder farmers, and these constituted the sample size. According to the study's findings, change crop variety was adopted by 43% of the farmers. Other strategies of adaptation that were employed include; agricultural insurance, change sow/harvest date, crop diversification and soil conservation. The findings also showed that the various strategies of adaptation (agricultural insurance, change sow/harvest date, crop diversification and soil conservation), correlated positively with age, education, distance, farming experience, ownership of a radio, an ox, a plough, and extension source. The study makes the following recommendations; (a) enhancing the education and awareness level of farmers towards climate extreme, (b) improving farmers " access to agricultural assets (plough, oxen etc), and (c) when developing and implementing adaptation strategies, farming experience should be taken into account.