Analysis of the socio-economics factors determining access to agricultural microcredit in maize production south of the borgou

Maize is a staple food and an important source of income for many households in Benin. However, national supply is unable to meet demand. With the dual aim of meeting household demand and increasing their incomes, farmers are coming up against a lack of capital and are turning to microfinance institutions. The aim of this research is therefore to analyse the determinants of access to credit in three municipalities in southern Borgou. The data was collected from a sample of 372 farmers determined according to the Yamane formula, with details of the sampling method, the collection tool and the collection method. The data were analysed using R software, using descriptive statistics, hierarchical ascending classification (HAC) and principal component analysis (PCA). The determinants of the different classes were analysed using a multinomial logit model. The results of the analyses reveal three distinct classes of farmers according to the age and farming experience of the head of household, level of financial education, income from maize, overall farming income and membership of a producer organisation. The first class (161 respondents) is made up of farmers with very little access to the credit system, while the second class (57 individuals) is made up of producers with better access to credit. Between the first two classes is class 3, made up of 154 individuals with average access to credit and oriented towards diversification of activities. The level of financial education of the producer, membership of an organisation and the area of maize sown are the main determinants of the level of access to microcredit. Taking these factors into account would enable some farmers in the low and medium access classes to benefit more from credit in order to manage their farms.