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Can flexible microfinance loans improve credit access for farmers?

Author

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  • Ron Weber
  • Oliver Musshoff

Abstract

Purpose - Using a unique dataset of a commercial microfinance institution (MFI) in Madagascar, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how credit access probabilities and loan volume rationing magnitudes for farmers change if the MFI switches to offer flexible microfinance loans, which can account for agricultural production specifics. Design/methodology/approach - The authors estimate probit models for the probability of receiving a loan and Heckman models to investigate the magnitude of volume rationing for all micro loan applications and disbursements of the MFI, differentiating between farmers with standard microfinance loans and farmers with flexible microfinance loans. Findings - The results reveal that agricultural firms with flexible microfinance loans have significantly higher credit access probabilities than non‐agricultural firms and agricultural firms with standard microfinance loans. Furthermore, it was found that agricultural firms with flexible microfinance loans are stronger volume rationed than non‐agricultural firms and agricultural firms with standard microfinance loans. Research limitations/implications - Even if the authors can show that access to credit for agricultural firms in Madagascar can be enhanced by the provisioning of flexible microfinance loans, the investigated MFI only introduced flexible microfinance loans in 2011 and currently only offers them through five branch offices. Thus, the product is new to the MFI, and results might change with increasing outreach to other geographic regions in Madagascar. Furthermore, the conditions for agricultural production in Madagascar are unique, and the results might change in different country contexts. Practical implications - The paper's findings suggest that flexible microfinance loans can contribute to the financial inclusion of farmers with seasonal production types. They also suggest that standard microfinance loans seem to be adequate for farmers with less seasonal production types, e.g. animal husbandry. Originality/value - To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to investigate the effects of flexible microfinance loan provision for credit access of small agricultural firms in developing countries in general, and in Madagascar in particular.

Suggested Citation

  • Ron Weber & Oliver Musshoff, 2013. "Can flexible microfinance loans improve credit access for farmers?," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 73(2), pages 255-271, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:afrpps:v:73:y:2013:i:2:p:255-271
    DOI: 10.1108/AFR-09-2012-0050
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Qi Zhou & Xiangfeng Chen & Shuting Li, 2018. "Innovative Financial Approach for Agricultural Sustainability: A Case Study of Alibaba," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Weber, Ron & Mußhoff, Oliver & Petrick, Martin, 2014. "How flexible repayment schedules affect credit risk in agricultural microfinance," DARE Discussion Papers 1404, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    3. Müller, Kirsten & Musshoff, Oliver & Weber, Ron, 2014. "The more the better? How collateral levels affect credit risk in agricultural microfinance," DARE Discussion Papers 1402, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    4. Sarfo, Yaw & Musshoff, Oliver & Weber, Ron & Danne, Michael, 2021. "Farmers’ Willingness to Pay for Digital Credit: Evidence from a Discrete Choice Experiment in Madagascar," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315029, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Weber, Ron & Musshoff, Oliver, 2015. "Does pre-defined flexibility come with teh cost of higher credit risk? Evidence from agricultural micro lending in Madagascar," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211905, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Sarfo, Yaw & Musshoff, Oliver & Weber, Ron & Danne, Michael, 2021. "Farmers’ willingness to pay for digital and conventional credit: Evidence from a discrete choice experiment in Madagascar," 61st Annual Conference, Berlin, Germany, September 22-24, 2021 317074, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    7. Collins Asante-Addo & Jonathan Mockshell & Manfred Zeller & Khalid Siddig & Irene S. Egyir, 2017. "Agricultural credit provision: what really determines farmers’ participation and credit rationing?," Agricultural Finance Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 77(2), pages 239-256, July.
    8. Natasha Stoudmann & Lena M. Reibelt & Christian A. Kull & Claude A. Garcia & Mirana Randriamalala & Patrick O. Waeber, 2019. "Biting the Bullet: Dealing with the Annual Hunger Gap in the Alaotra, Madagascar," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-18, April.
    9. Apurba Shee & Calum G. Turvey & Ana Marr, 2021. "Heterogeneous Demand and Supply for an Insurance‐linked Credit Product in Kenya: A Stated Choice Experiment Approach," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 72(1), pages 244-267, February.
    10. Weber, Ron & Mußhoff, Oliver & Petrick, Martin, 2014. "How flexible repayment schedules affect credit risk in agricultural microfinance," DARE Discussion Papers 1404, Georg-August University of Göttingen, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development (DARE).
    11. Marc Labie & Carolina Laureti & Ariane Szafarz, 2016. "Discipline and Flexibility: A Behavioral Perspective on Product Design in Microfinance," Working Papers CEB 15-020, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    12. Marc Labie & Carolina Laureti & Ariane Szafarz, 2013. "Flexible Products in Microfinance: Overcoming the Demand-Supply Mismatch," Working Papers CEB 13-044, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    13. Aroosa Khan & Muhammad Shaukat Malik, 2020. "Micro-Financing: A Comparative Study of Bangladesh & Pakistan," Business and Economic Research, Macrothink Institute, vol. 10(3), pages 181-202, September.
    14. Waqas Ahmad, 2022. "The Role of Islamic Microfinance in Poverty Alleviation: Evidence from Pakistan," Journal of Economic Impact, Science Impact Publishers, vol. 4(1), pages 39-49.

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