Impact of remittances on rice productivity

Remittances have the potential to enhance rice production. This retrospective study was carried out to assess the impact of remittances on rice productivity in the Chitwan valley of Nepal. This approach differs from the existing evidence as it studies the impact of the remittances on socio-economic outcomes related to rice productivity as well. The multivariate linear regression analysis was used to predict the outcome of independent predictors on the dependent variable. The result showed a significant increase in rice productivity having an increase in engagement of both male and female household members (p<0.001). Similarly, there was an increase in rice productivity with an increase in one unit of land owned, use of irrigation, tractor, and thresher/harvester. The study depicts the significant contribution of remittances to rice productivity. This contribution can be ensured in the long term if migrant households are encouraged to utilization of remittances for various agricultural purposes to increase rice productivity.