Impact of Agricultural Credit Access on Agricultural Productivity among Maize and Rice Smallholder Farmers in Rwanda
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Date
2021-01-21
Authors
Taremwa, Nathan Kanuma
Macharia, Ibrahim
Bett, Eric
Majiwa, Eucabeth
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Poznaniu
Abstract
This paper assesses the impact of access to agricultural credit on the agricultural productivity of 422 smallholder farmers that cultivate maize or rice in the Western and
Eastern province of Rwanda. Stratified, simple random and
convenience sampling techniques were used to sample districts, sectors, cells and households. Data were collected using structured interviews and analyzed using propensity score
matching techniques. Results indicated that productivity was
higher by 44% among the farmers who accessed credit implying that they harvested on average an extra 440 kilograms of
maize or rice. According to a crop-specific analysis, agricultural credit access had a more significant impact on maize productivity, with a difference in proportion of 68% (p = 0.000)
but had no impact on rice productivity (p = 0.149). The study
concludes that agricultural credit was important for Rwanda’s
agricultural productivity. Thus policy measures should aim at
improving smallholder farmers’ access to agricultural credit
and promoting the use of modern agricultural inputs, particularly among rice farmers in Rwanda.
Description
A Research Article in the Journal of Agribusiness and Rural Development
Keywords
Rice, Maize, Smallholder farmers, Agricultural productivity, Credit access, Rwanda
Citation
Taremwa, N. K., Macharia, I., Bett, E., Majiwa, E. (2021). Impact of agricultural credit access on agricultural productivity among maize and rice smallholder farmers in Rwanda. J. Agribus. Rural Dev., 1(59), 39–58.