Analysis of Maize Production among Beneficiaries and Non-Beneficiaries of Microfinance Bank Loan in Akure-South Local Government Area, Ondo State, Nigeria

The study analyzed maize production among beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of Microfinance Bank loan in Akure-South, Ondo State, Nigeria. It described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, compared the differences in outputs, estimated their costs and returns, identified other forms of loan-scheme, identified constraints faced by loan beneficiaries and identified reasons why non-beneficiaries were not obtaining loan. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted using a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information from hundred (100) maize farmers. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Gross margin and 3-point Likert scale were used for data analysis. Most (76.0%) of the respondents were married, 49.0% were within 40-59 years and 90.0% were formally educated. There was no significant difference between the outputs of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries. Beneficiaries earned an average total revenue of ₦645,843.60 per hectare per cropping season and incurred a total cost of ₦379,598.34 per hectare per cropping season while non-beneficiaries earned average total revenue of ₦404,976.00 per hectare per cropping season and incurred a total cost of ₦248,815.45 per hectare cropping season respectively. Undue delay (Mean score=2.0), low volume of loan (Mean score = 2.18) were the constraints of beneficiaries. High interest rate (90%) and collateral (86%) constituted the reasons why non-beneficiaries were not obtaining micro-finance loan. Therefore, beneficiaries need timely loan disbursement with low interest for higher output and profitability.