Analyse des déterminants de l’accès aux crédits des exploitations agricoles : Cas de l’ancienne Province Bubanza

Abstract

Access to agricultural credit plays a central role in agricultural development, food security, and poverty reduction in Burundi. However, the Burundian agricultural sector is characterized by major structural constraints, including low mechanization, limited access to inputs, and the financial exclusion of smallholder farmers. In the former Province of Bubanza, where agriculture is the dominant economic activity, access to formal credit remains very limited, hindering the modernization of agricultural farms. This study aims to analyze the determinants of access to agricultural credit in the former Province of Bubanza , addressing the lack of localized empirical data and supporting inclusive financial policies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis is based on data collected from 196 agricultural households in the communes of Mpanda, Rugazi, and Gihanga through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and a binary Logit model were used for data analysis. The descriptive results reveal a strong reliance on self-financing (92.4%), while access to microfinance institutions remains limited (31.3%). Lack of collateral, high interest rates, and insufficient loan amounts are identified as the main constraints. The econometric results indicate that gender, education level, farm size, membership in farmer groups, proximity to microfinance institutions, and availability of collateral positively influence access to agricultural credit. In contrast, age, marital status, and household size are not statistically significant. These findings highlight the need to strengthen inclusive financial mechanisms tailored to smallholder farmers in the former Province Bubanza.