| Sumario: | This paper uses cross sectional data which were collected from 200 smallholder rice producers in
Ghana, to examine the factors influencing the adoption and extent of use of NERICA rice varieties in
Ghana. About 57.93 per cent of the sampled rice producers allocated 35.77 per cent of their land to
NERICA accounting for about 33.13 per cent of seeds planted. The Tobit regression model suggests
fertilizer use, existence of other complementary projects in the area, proportion of active persons in
household, access to alternative income sources, distance to seed source and education as key factors
influencing the quantity of seeds planted as well as the proportion of land allocated to the NERICA
varieties. With the exception of distance to seed source, all the other factors positively influenced the
extents of adoption. The findings suggest the need to ensure availability of NERICA seeds within
acceptable distances to farming communities. This could be achieved through identification of certified
rice seed growers in strategic locations throughout the country and supported with necessary logistics
to produce NERICA seeds at reasonable proximities to rice producing communities. This could also be
enhanced through establishment of linkages with existing institutions and projects to compliment
promotional efforts.
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