Climate Resilient Rice Varieties Yield Gains and Cost Savings Among Ghanaian Farmers in the Upper East Region

This study examines climate resilient rice varieties' impact on yield gains and cost savings among farmers in Ghana's Upper East Region. A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 100 participating farmers who were randomly assigned to either a control group (using traditional rice varieties) or an intervention group (utilising climate-resilient rice varieties). Data on yield, input costs, and financial outcomes were collected over two growing seasons. Climate resilient rice varieties demonstrated an average 25% increase in yield compared to traditional varieties, with a cost savings of $10 per hectare for the intervention group. The climate-resilient rice varieties not only improved yields but also reduced input costs significantly, providing a sustainable solution for smallholder farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana. Farmers and agricultural extension services should be encouraged to adopt these climate-resilient rice varieties. Governments should support policies that promote their widespread adoption and provide financial incentives where necessary. climate resilience, yield gains, cost savings, rice cultivation, smallholder farmers Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.