Determinants of adoption of modern rice varieties in rural Vietnam: An analysis of the microeconomic aspects based on household surveys.

Abstract

Modern rice varieties are considered to be a potential solution for households to cope with resource scarcity, climate changes, and increasing food demand in developing countries. However, there is still limited information regarding the factors influencing the adoption of modern rice varieties by farmers and the economic impact of this adoption across different land size groups in Vietnam. This study utilizes aggregated data from the Vietnam Access to Resources Household Survey (VARHS) in 2014 and 2016 and employs probit regression and OLS models to estimate the impact of household-level factors on the decision to adopt improved rice varieties. The estimates from the research model reveal that the effects of these factors are significant and diverse. Specifically, factors such as ethnicity, education, cultivated land as well as irrigated land have a positive influence on the adoption decision. Conversely, poverty status is found to have a negative impact on the decision of adoption by households. These findings suggest that the Vietnamese government should enact and implement relevant policies, particularly regarding land markets, soil quality, and household poverty status, to enhance the effectiveness of rice production.