American International Journal of Social Science

Gender Analysis of Access to Credit by Rural Small Scale Farmers in Benue State Nigeria
Elizabeth N. Jeiyol, Sunday B. Akpan, Terver N. Tee

Abstract
This study specifically examined various issues related to access to credit by both male and female crop farmers in Benue State, Nigeria. Sixty male and sixty female crop farmers were randomly sampled and used for data collection. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data needed for analyses. Descriptive statistics and Logit model regression based on the maximum likelihood estimation were used to analyze the data collected. The explanatory variables used in the Logit model were derived following a careful review of the literature on credit access among farmers in Nigeria. The descriptive analysis revealed the presence of aging farming population; low formal education among farmers and importance of remittance to agricultural production in the region. The study also identified rotating credit and local savings as the major sources of credit to both male and female farmers in the region. The estimated Logit model revealed that farmers’ household expenditure, cost of fertilizer, cost of hired labour, farm size and farm income are significant determinants of access to credit among male and female farmers in the study area. It is recommended that farm inputs should be further subsidized in the region. Government agencies and Non-Governmental Organizations should intensify efforts at increasing adult formal education among male and female farmers in the study area. Operators of credit institutions should endeavor to locate some of the lending outfits nearer to the farmers. Therefore, the study based on the findings suggests a comprehensive development of gender-specific policy interventions to enhance access to credit by the rural farmers in Benue State.

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