THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE CREDIT GUARANTEE SCHEME FUND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE

THE ROLE OF AGRICULTURE CREDIT GUARANTEE SCHEME FUND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE

ABSTRACT

This study was intended to examine the role of agriculture credit guarantee scheme fund in the development of agriculture. This study was guided by the following objectives; to determine the impact of credit from Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme on agricultural production in Nigeria, to evaluate the extent to which ACGSF has impacted the output of the crop subsector of the agricultural sector in Nigeria, to evaluate the extent to which ACGSF has impacted the output of the livestock subsector of the agricultural sector in Nigeria, to evaluate the extent to which ACGSF has impacted the output of the forestry subsector of the agricultural sector in Nigeria, to evaluate the extent to which ACGSF has impacted the output of the fishery subsector of the agricultural sector in Nigeria and to articulate the policy implications of findings and to recommend possible intervention that could help in improving the scheme’s effectiveness. The study employed the descriptive and explanatory design; questionnaires in addition to library research were applied in order to collect data. Primary and secondary data sources were used and data was analyzed using the chi square statistical tool at 5% level of significance which was presented in frequency tables and percentage. The respondents under the study were 100 residents in Abuja metropolis, FCT, Nigeria. The study findings revealed that majority of the respondents were of the opinion that Credit provided under the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Scheme Fund, (ACGSF) have a significant positive impact on agricultural production in Nigeria; based on the findings from the study, Government should invest more in Crop production and livestock in other to diversify the earnings of the economy and eliminate her dependency on other nations.