Gender Factors in Capital Sourcing and Accessibility by Arable Crop Farmers in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study analyzed gender related factors and their influences on capital sourcing and accessibility by arable crop farm households in Owerri North local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria. The farming communities and respondents were chosen following a multi-stage random sampling technique. Eighty (80) heads of arable crops farm household were randomly chosen in equal proportion of forty (40) males and forty (40) females in a cross sectional survey. Data on gender-based socio-economic factors were collected and analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Male farmers’ access to loans was positively influenced by loan repayment period and negatively influenced by mean monthly savings and interest charges on loan. Female farmers’ access to loan was positively influenced by their level of education and length of loan repayment period. The access to loan by the female farmers was significantly and negatively influenced by value of required collaterals, size of their households, and interest charges on the loans. Gender related factors such as poor access to land, high value of collaterals required by banks and other lending units, and high interest charges was variously perceived by male and female farmers as factors limiting their affordability for loans from formal and informal sources. Credit institutions were advised to give preferential consideration to women in extending credit for farm operations. Such loan beneficiaries should be closely supervised in their use of the credit to ensure proper usage, and should discriminatorily be charged lower interests to encourage women entrepreneurships in farm business.