Sources and Accessibility of Credit to Farmers For Agricultural Financing In Makarfi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

Abstract

The study was carried out to determine the sources and accessibility of credit to farmers for agricultural financing in Makerifi Local Government Area of Kaduna State of Nigeria. Primary data was used for the study. Primary data was obtained using a structured set of questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were used for the investigation. The result obtained show that 95.3% of the sampled farmers were between the age bracket of 21-50 years while 85.9% of the respondent had received one form of education or the other. 85.9% of the respondents have been farming for between 1 – 40 year. The result further revealed that 91.1% of the farmers in the area had 4 – 16 children as members of household size. The level of education and years of farming were the significant factors influencing access to credit by farmers in the area under study. 76.5% obtained loans from formal sources, while 23.5% got loans through informal sources. Further analysis, 24.7% of the farmers sampled, had problems of delay in approval and obtaining loans through formal sources while 4.7% of those sampled complained about delay in getting credit through informal sources. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were put forward. That there should be (i) minimization and simplification of procedures in obtaining loans from formal and information sources. This will enhance timely disbursement of loans to the farmers; and. Interest rates charged on loans by both
formal and informal sources should be minimal.

Samaru Journal of Information Studies Vol. 7 (2) 2007: pp. 34-38