CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          Farmer need productive resources and these resources are acquired with owned or borrowed fund. Agriculture is very important to the economic of most developing countries of the world and because of this, a supply of adequate farmer finance is essential for natural well bring.

          Since agriculture is the backbone of the Nigeria economy providing employment to about 70% of its population yet this important sector has suffered healect since the oil boom days. Agriculture has totally declined since the early 1970s Nigeria export crops such as groundnut, palm oil and external have evaluate disappeared and the country is a net importer of food crops. Agriculture recorded growth rate in 1975 at about 2.6% while the population grew at about 70% compared to 57-7% in 1993 economic growth summit (1995) the small scale farmers according to the national agricultural policy document for Nigeria (N.A.P.O.N) constitute over 90% of the food and fiber requirement of Nigeria on the other hand large scale farmers produce has than 1% of farm out put in Nigeria but they tend to have greater access to farmer inputs including farm credit or loan.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

          This study is to investigate the analysis of the problem associated with obtaining credit for financing agricultural production in Edo state. It would be seen that many problems arise the most for mixable problem encounter by the farmers in the area.

1. The inability of the farmers to meet the collateral security acquired by the commercial bank is a major problem hindering agricultural sectors. This is as a result where farmers have nothing to deposit in the process of obtaining credit for agriculture.

1. High interest rate is another factor that discourage farmers from obtaining credit in most commercial banks, payment of interest involve when fund is borrowed.

1. The low educational    background of the farmers also constitutes hindrance in obtaining agricultural credit.
2. Credit facilities are not easily accessible to small scale farmers.

1. The bureaveratie native involved in the process of obtaining credit ot loans for agricultural purpose have not being encourage on the part of the farmers. It is on the note that the researcher intends to identify some of the hindering factors in order to proffer solution.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

          The main aim of the this study is to find the major problems of obtaining credit or loan for financing agricultural production in Nigeria with particular reference to Edo state. The objectives of the study are:

1. To identify the problem militating against adequate financing of agriculture.

1. To enumerate and analyze the agricultural credit granted to farmers in recent years.

1. To know how much the commercial banks have help in financing agriculture.

1. To look how agriculture has developed especially in Edo state.

1. To create awareness of the problem posed by agricultural financing inadequacies.

1. To investigate how these problems can be tackled.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1. This research study will be important to those future researchers in economic and agricultural science who would like to use it as a reference material or for further investigation.

1. This study is to create awareness to farmers in Edo state, the reasons of low agricultural production and also to bring to the notice of the general public loans for financing agricultural production in the locality.

1. It will form a good basis to the government for the formulation of policies.

1. To serve as encouragement to those farmers in the area of study.

HYPOTHESIS

          Some question to be tackled in the course of this study has been rise as follows.

1. Is collateral security a problem of obtaining credit from commercial banks?

1. Does high interest rate increase the incidence of bad debt?

1. Does educational background hinder the potentials of obtaining credit?

1. Is a credit facility accessible for small scale farmers?

1. Does bureaulrate process pose a lot of problem or obtaining loans to farmers?

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study is aimed at providing details knowledge and understanding of the operation, function and to determine the problems of obtaining loans for financing agricultural production in Edo state through the federal government agricultural credit guarantee scheme (F.G.A.C.G.S) found since 1977. With the view of providing useful suggestion to ease the problem of agriculture development in Nigeria; It is directly towards the application of problems obtained for financing agriculture view of this more emphasis will be placed on the success of credit facilities lending procedure as a criteria of measurement. The performance of the commercial banks in this regard will be assessed by using the present farmers areas to the agricultural credit facilities as well as the hindrance which the small scale farmers faces in obtaining loans from financial institution.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

LOAN OR CREDIT FOR AGRICULTURE OF AGRICULTURAL CREDITS

Refers to the process of obtaining control over the use of money, goods and services in the present for a promise to repay at a future date.

AGRICULTURAL FINANCE: This means ways and means by which a farmers obtain the entire necessary fund required in order to carryout agricultural production.

INTEREST: This means the price paid for the use of borrowed money and is usually expressed as a percent on an annual basis.

COLLATERAL: This means anything offered as a promise of loan repayment to be given to a lender in cast of non-payment.