Agricultural Credit and Output Performance of Rural Women Soybean Farmers in Sabon Gari Local Government Area, Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined how access to agricultural credit affects the output performance of rural women soya bean farmers in Sabon Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study is anchored in the Credit Rationing Theory developed by Stiglitz and Weiss (1981), which explains how information asymmetry and collateral requirements limit access to credit for smallholder farmers, particularly rural women. The study employed a descriptive and analytical survey design, using data collected from 256 respondents selected through simple random sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression
analysis in SPSS version 25, with soybean output measured as yield per hectare. The findings revealed disparities in access to credit among the farmers, while the regression results showed that credit accessibility and farming experience had positive and statistically significant effects on soya bean output, indicating that improved financial access and farming knowledge enhance productivity. However, age had no significant effect on output. Based on these findings, the study recommends expanding affordable, gender-sensitive credit schemes, strengthening agricultural extension services, promoting financial literacy, and investing in rural infrastructure and climate-smart farming technologies to improve sustainable soya bean production among rural women farmers.