Long-term Diffusion and Impact of Flood-tolerant Rice

Building on their previous study (“Adoption of Improved Fertilizer Management Practices Under Risk Reduction Due to Submergence-tolerant Rice”), this project seeks to determine the long-term effects of the flood-tolerant rice variety Swarna-Sub1. Researchers conducted two follow-up surveys in 2015 and 2016 among farmers who participated in their earlier randomized evaluations measuring Swarna-Sub1 adoption and yield effects. A total of 3,560 farmers were surveyed in 128 villages in Odisha. The first survey in 2015 primarily measured the long-term adoption of Swarna-Sub1 to understand if farmers switch back to regular Swarna if they are unaffected by flooding. In 2016, the primary outcomes focused on measuring long-term effects on agricultural practices, rice consumption, household welfare (particularly child nutrition and investment), and market prices. Swarna-Sub1 seed sales were then conducted to identify demand for seeds.