Factors affecting credit use for fruit farms: the case of Bursa

Abstract

One of the basic principles of economic development is to increase agricultural production. To increase agricultural production, technological and biological innovations must be implemented by the farmers. However, the capital accumulation required for the implementation of these innovations is not sufficient, especially in small family farms. To provide production inputs and to apply new production techniques and methods, the farmers find the necessary capital by using agricultural credit. Therefore, agricultural financing is critical for the development and growth of the agricultural sector. This study aims to determine the credit usage levels and factors affecting credit usage of fruit growing farms in the province of Bursa, Turkey. For this purpose, a face-to-face survey was conducted with 57 fruit growing farms in the central districts of the province of Bursa. According to the results of the analysis of the data obtained from the surveys, age of the household head, farmers’ education level, the maturity of credit and the number of types of cultivated crops were determined to be effective on the credit usage level of fruit growing farms.