CREDIT UTILIZATION AMONG CASSAVA FARMERS IN EKITI STATE

Abstract

The study examines credit utilization among cassava farmers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Agricultural credit programmes designed and implemented in the country are at variance with the objectives. Multistage sampling technique was used to select one hundred and twenty (120) cassava farmers in four local government areas of Moba, Ikere, Ido/Osi and Ekiti West. Apart from the administration of structured questionnaire, personal interview was similarly conducted. Data collected were analyzed, using frequencies, percentages and cumulative frequencies to explain the age, sex, marital status, family size, educational attainment, objectives of farming, major occupation, total farm size, use of labour, amount spent on labour/year, use of credit, problems of obtaining credit sources of farm inputs and marketing of farm produce. Regression analysis using linear, semi-log and double-log functional forms were used to determine and compare the resources use efficiency between users and non-users of credit, and budgeting Techniques were used to determine the profit ability of cassava production. The study thus revealed that the majority of the respondents were youth (93.3%) and about 84.9% the study thus revealed that the majority of the respondents were youth (93.3%) and about 84.9% of the respondents were literates which can have positive effect on cassava production,. The study also showed that the majority of the respondents were operating on small farm size (58.8%). The study made it clear that the majority of the respondents invested their saving into cassava production. Also a reasonable percentage of the respondents borrowed money from cooperatives (27.8%). The t-test statistic revealed that the amount of credit have positive effect on farmers' income.