Effects of Access to Farm Credit on Cassava Farm Productivity; Evidence from Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria

The study examine the Effects of Access of Farm Credit on Cassava Farm Productivity in Etche local government area of rivers state, Nigeria, with specific objectives to describe the socio-economic characteristics of the cassava farmers, identify source of agricultural credit and availability to rural farmers, ascertain the relationship between farm credit access and utilization on cassava farm productivity, determine the effect on farm credit on cassava output and identify the major constraints on farm credit accessibility to cassava farmers in the study area. Two-stage sampling technique was used in selecting cassava farmers in the study area and a total of sixty (60) cassava farmers/respondents. Descriptive statistics, t-test, multiple regression analysis and 4-point Likert Scale was used to analyze the objectives. The results of the finding revealed that, 35% of the respondents were male and 65% of the respondents were female, 46.67% of respondents were in the age of 20 - 30 years, 28.37% of were in the age of 31-40 years, 53.3% of farmers were single and 46.67% of the farmers were married, 35% had tertiary degree, showing that the cassava farmers had formal education with a mean of 11 years 81% of the farmers has a household ranging from 1 – 10 persons. The result reveals that there is significant difference between credit and cassava productivity. The average mean of farmers without credit was higher than that of farmers with loan, indicating that they do not make use of their credit for farming rather prefers to use it for other agricultural and non-agricultural activities. These econometrics result that a percentage increase in the years of Credit Accessed will result in a 2.175043 increase in cassava production, credit accessed and revenue of cassava farmers and a change in marital status and sex of the farmer will lead to a -1092217 and -978519.0 decrease in cassava production, credit accessed and revenue of cassava farmers. Complex credit facility requirement affects farm credit accessibility and Several loan applications by credit agents affect farm credit accessibility were constraints faced by farmers in accessing credit as they all had a mean value greater than 2.50.