ACCESSIBILITY OF AGRICULTURAL CREDIT BY RURAL WOMEN AND THE IMPLICATION ON NIGERIA AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT: A CASE STUDY OF JEMA’A AND KAURA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE
ACCESSIBILITY OF AGRICULTURAL CREDIT BY RURAL WOMEN AND THE IMPLICATION ON NIGERIA AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT: A CASE STUDY OF JEMA’A AND KAURA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KADUNA STATE
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Date
2009-04
Authors
ISA, GRACE HEZEKIAH
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Abstract
This study investigated rural women access to agricultural credit and the effect
on agricultural output. Primary data were collected through the use of
structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD). Two Local
Government Areas (LGAs) were selected based on women involvement in
agricultural activities. These were Jema’a and Kaura (LGAs). A multi-stage
random sampling technique was applied in the selection of eighty (80) women
farmers. Each local government areas had (40) respondents. A high
percentage of the questionnaires administered during the research were
retrieved. A total number of 78 questionnaires out of the 80 questionnaires
administered were retrieved, representing 98% response rate. The analytical
tools used include among others frequencies, mean, and percentages. The
chi-square was also used to test the null hypotheses that there was no
significant relationship between socio-economic factors and access to credit
and also no significant relationship between amount accessed and output.
The results show that there were two main sources of agricultural credit in
these areas. They are formal and informal agricultural credit. It was
discovered that 17% of these rural women sourced credit from formal sources
(commercial banks/ Agricultural banks) and 83% of them got theirs from
informal sources like friends, relatives, NGOs, and personal saving. The
women in the study area encountered problems like inaccessibility of credit
institution, lack of collateral security, administrative bureaucracy in accessing
formal sources of credit. Problems like insufficient amount and high interest
rate posed challenges in accessing informal sources of credit. The study
proffered solutions like the establishment of banks in the rural areas,
minimization of procedure in getting loans and implementing programmes that
will facilitate women access to credit facilities. The cross tabulation/chi-square
analysis showed that occupation education and land ownership had
influenced on access to agricultural credit. Socio-economic factors like age,
family size, farm size had no influence on access to credit. Finally, the chi square
analysis proved that there was a significant relationship between
amount accessed and level of output. Women who received higher amount
experienced increase in their agricultural output.
Description
AN MSC THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE
POST GRADUATE SCHOOL
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE AWARD OF MASTER
OF SCIENCE IN ECONOMICS
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS,
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA NIGERIA
APRIL, 2009.
Keywords
ACCESSIBILITY,, AGRICULTURAL,, RURAL WOMEN,, IMPLICATION,, NIGERIA, JEMA’A,, KAURA LOCAL GOVERNMENT,, KADUNA STATE.