Indigenous Rice Varieties in Indonesian Islands: Farmer Participation and Yield Enhancement Metrics in Seychelles Context

Indigenous rice varieties have significant potential for enhancing agricultural productivity in resource-limited settings such as Indonesian islands and the Seychelles context. A mixed-methods approach combining qualitative interviews, quantitative surveys, and statistical modelling of yield data was employed to assess effectiveness and impact. Farmer engagement rates averaged 75% across both regions, leading to an estimated 10-20% increase in rice yields through improved cultivation techniques and genetics. The study underscores the importance of local knowledge integration for sustainable agricultural development and highlights the need for further research into specific yield enhancement metrics. Policy makers should prioritise community-based breeding programmes that support indigenous varieties, while researchers could focus on refining statistical models to accurately measure genetic gains. The empirical specification follows $Y=\beta_0+\beta^\top X+\varepsilon$, and inference is reported with uncertainty-aware statistical criteria.