Effect Of Rural Finance Support Programme On Smallholder Farmers’ Productivity And Welfare In Iringa Region Of Tanzania

Marketing Infrastructure, Value Addition and Rural Finance Support Programme (MIVARF) is a programme jointly financed by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in collaboration with African Development Bank (AfDB), and Government of Tanzania. The primary goal of the programme is to reduce rural poverty and accelerate economic growth on a sustainable basis which is in line with the goal of IFAD of increasing food security, improving the nutrition of their families and increase their incomes.

The programme components include: (i) Marketing Infrastructure and Systems; and (ii) Rural Finance. The Rural Finance has two sub-components: (a) grassroots financial services and (b) rural financial systems development. The programme developed research topics one of which is effect of rural finance support programme on smallholder farmers’ productivity and welfare in Iringa Region of Tanzania, which was advertised and won. Therefore this study aimed at measuring the effect of rural finance support programme on smallholder farmers’ productivity and welfare in Iringa Region of Tanzania.