Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia

Credit markets are key instruments by which liquidity constrained smallholder farmers may finance productivity investments. However, the documented low demand and uptake of agricultural credit by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa poses challenges for energizing rural transformation in the re...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Abay, Kibrom A., Koru, Bethlehem, Chamberlin, Jordan, Berhane, Guush
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146802
_version_ 1855526490227081216
author Abay, Kibrom A.
Koru, Bethlehem
Chamberlin, Jordan
Berhane, Guush
author_browse Abay, Kibrom A.
Berhane, Guush
Chamberlin, Jordan
Koru, Bethlehem
author_facet Abay, Kibrom A.
Koru, Bethlehem
Chamberlin, Jordan
Berhane, Guush
author_sort Abay, Kibrom A.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Credit markets are key instruments by which liquidity constrained smallholder farmers may finance productivity investments. However, the documented low demand and uptake of agricultural credit by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa poses challenges for energizing rural transformation in the region. In this paper we investigate the impact of rainfall uncertainty (and risk more generally) on the expressed demand for credit among rural households in Ethiopia. We explore potential mechanisms through which weather risk may explain the low demand for credit. We also examine the consequences of uninsured rainfall uncertainty on productivity-enhancing and loss-reducing agricultural investments. We provide evidence that rainfall uncertainty dampens households’ demand for agricultural credit. Rainfall uncertainty is associated with credit risk-rationing, which underlies the low demand for agricultural credit in Ethiopia. We also show that rainfall uncertainty helps to explain the low uptake of productivity-enhancing agricultural technologies, such as fertilizers. On the other hand, rainfall uncertainty encourages investments in defensive agricultural inputs, such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Our results highlight the impacts of uninsured production risk on agricultural investments made by African smallholders.
format Artículo preliminar
id CGSpace146802
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2018
publishDateRange 2018
publishDateSort 2018
publisher International Food Policy Research Institute
publisherStr International Food Policy Research Institute
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1468022025-11-06T06:20:52Z Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia Abay, Kibrom A. Koru, Bethlehem Chamberlin, Jordan Berhane, Guush investment agricultural credit smallholders risk credit finance credit control Credit markets are key instruments by which liquidity constrained smallholder farmers may finance productivity investments. However, the documented low demand and uptake of agricultural credit by smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa poses challenges for energizing rural transformation in the region. In this paper we investigate the impact of rainfall uncertainty (and risk more generally) on the expressed demand for credit among rural households in Ethiopia. We explore potential mechanisms through which weather risk may explain the low demand for credit. We also examine the consequences of uninsured rainfall uncertainty on productivity-enhancing and loss-reducing agricultural investments. We provide evidence that rainfall uncertainty dampens households’ demand for agricultural credit. Rainfall uncertainty is associated with credit risk-rationing, which underlies the low demand for agricultural credit in Ethiopia. We also show that rainfall uncertainty helps to explain the low uptake of productivity-enhancing agricultural technologies, such as fertilizers. On the other hand, rainfall uncertainty encourages investments in defensive agricultural inputs, such as pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Our results highlight the impacts of uninsured production risk on agricultural investments made by African smallholders. 2018-12-12 2024-06-21T09:08:49Z 2024-06-21T09:08:49Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146802 en https://doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbab013 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ethiopian Development Research Institute Abay, Kibrom A.; Koru, Bethlehem; Chamberlin, Jordan; and Berhane, Guush. 2018. Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia. ESSP Working Paper 128. Washington, DC and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Ethiopian Development Research Institute (EDRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146802
spellingShingle investment
agricultural credit
smallholders
risk
credit
finance
credit control
Abay, Kibrom A.
Koru, Bethlehem
Chamberlin, Jordan
Berhane, Guush
Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia
title Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_full Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_fullStr Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_short Does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit? Evidence from Ethiopia
title_sort does weather risk explain low uptake of agricultural credit evidence from ethiopia
topic investment
agricultural credit
smallholders
risk
credit
finance
credit control
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146802
work_keys_str_mv AT abaykibroma doesweatherriskexplainlowuptakeofagriculturalcreditevidencefromethiopia
AT korubethlehem doesweatherriskexplainlowuptakeofagriculturalcreditevidencefromethiopia
AT chamberlinjordan doesweatherriskexplainlowuptakeofagriculturalcreditevidencefromethiopia
AT berhaneguush doesweatherriskexplainlowuptakeofagriculturalcreditevidencefromethiopia