Productivity impact of improved rice varieties' adoption: case of smallholder rice farmers in Nigeria

The use of agricultural technology, such as high-yielding seed varieties in developing countries where the primary source of livelihood is agriculture is vital in reducing poverty, hunger, and promoting food security. This study examined the productivity impact of improved rice varieties (IRV) among smallholder farmers in South West, Nigeria, using cross-sectional data obtained from a sample of 250 rice farming households. The propensity score matching (PSM) technique was used to evaluate the impact of IRV adoption on rice productivity. The results of the study indicated that educational attainment, experience in rice farming, extension contact, access to credit, and access to IRV seeds had a positive and statistically significant influence on the adoption of IRV. Moreover, adopters of IRV gain 452 kg more rice grains per hectare of rice farms. The paper concludes that strengthening extension services using new strategies like electronic and social media may be more effective than the conventional method of extension delivery. Also, having an effective credit scheme and making the improved seeds physically accessible to farmers will increase adoption of IRVs, and subsequently boost farm productivity.