Although Chinas rural economy has made significant progress over the last twenty-five years, rural finance and institutional reforms are still lagging behind. This publication reviews the findings of an OECD meeting held in October 2003 and organised with the Chinese Government (with participants including Chinese policy makers and industry experts, as well as representatives from the World Bank, the FAO, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Asian Development Bank). The meeting discussed options for improving the countrys rural finance and institutional framework, as well as considering the role that the Chinese government could play within the reform process.
This textbook integrates financial economics and management in the area of agricultural finance. The presentation of financial economics discusses how the credit needs of farmer/borrowers are met by depositors through commercial banks. The financial management content presents methods used to make farm financial decisions including farm accounting, capital budgeting, and the analysis of risk. The textbook begins by developing the farm financial market focusing primarily on the market for debt. Next, the textbook presents an overview of accounting concepts important for the credit market. The accounting section provides a detailed discussion of the Farm Financial Standards Council’s suggestions for agricultural financial statements. Following the financial accounting, the book presents the use of ratio analysis applied to the farm firm. Next, the text describes capital budgeting followed by an introduction to risk analysis. Finally, the book presents the effect of debt decisions on the farm firm. In addition to the primary topics, the textbook includes a discussion of agricultural banking and monetary policy and an analysis of the choice of historical cost and market valued accounting methodologies on the farm debt decision.
A comprehensive resource for understanding the complexities of agricultural finance Agricultural Finance: From Crops to Land, Water, and Infrastructure is a pioneering book that offers a comprehensive resource for understanding the worldwide agriculture markets, from spikes in agricultural commodity prices to trading strategies, and the agribusiness industry generally to the challenges of feeding the planet in particular. The book also goes in-depth on the topics of land, water, fertilizers, biofuels, and ethanol. Written by Helyette Geman—an industry expert in commodity derivatives—this book explores the agricultural marketplace and the cycles in agricultural commodity prices that can be the key to investor success. This resource addresses a wide range of other important topics as well, including agricultural insurance, energy, shipping and bunker prices, sustainability, investments in land, subsidies, agricultural derivatives, and farming risk-management. Other topics covered include structured products and agricultural commodities ETFs; trade finance in an era of credit shortage; securitization and commodity-linked notes; grains: wheat, corn, soybeans; softs: coffee, cocoa, cotton; shipping as a key component of agricultural trade; and the major agricultural shipping routes and the costs. The book: Offers the first comprehensive resource that deals with the all aspects of agricultural finance Includes information that is crucial for pension funds, asset managers, hedge funds, agribusiness corporates, CTAs and regulators Covers a range of topics from agricultural bunker prices, futures, options to major shipping routes and the costs This text is a must-have resource for accessing the information required to trade successfully in the agricultural marketplace.
Originally published in 1985, twenty-three chapters are brought together in 4 parts dealing with, respectively, problems in rural finance, interest rate policies, politics and finance, and new directions for rural financial markets. In an introduction it is argued that cheap and abundant credit is often regarded as essential for rural development but that actions taken on the basis of this assumption have given disappointing results. Low-interest policies and the improper use of financial markets are seen as the principal reasons for this. It is recommended that higher and more flexible interest rates are allowed and that little or no attention is given to target loans. Informal lenders are thought to offer valuable services therefore they should not be discouraged. More emphasis should be put on voluntary savings mobilization and access to formal loans by non-farm rural firms. It is concluded that many traditional agricultural credit programmes are counterproductive and that attractive product and input prices together with higher yields would be more powerful in stimulating agricultural development.
To promote agricultural -- and hence economic -- growth, Pakistan must make more credit available to agricultural smallholders, the rural nonfarm sector, and women. Subsidizing interest rates is not the way to help marginal borrowers. Instead, they can be helped through fixed-cost subsidies and self-selected targeting. Pakistan's rural sector accounts for more than 70 percent of employment, and roughly two-thirds of rural employment is in agriculture. Less than a third of rural households get loans, only 10 percent of which are from institutional sources. Pakistan's credit institutions are not helping the country accelerate agricultural growth and reduce poverty. To improve performance in the rural economy and efficiency in financial institutions, rural credit markets must be liberalized. The government needs to initiate the following reforms: * Produce and price controls must be replaced by prudent regulation and supervision, combined with policies to stabilize the economy. * Commercial banks must operate in a competitive environment. They must be allowed to set interest rates for rural lending that cover their transaction costs. * Credit must be made available to support productivity growth for agricultural smallholders and small producers of the rural nonfarm sector, where Pakistan's growth potential lies. * Credit must be made available to women and to the rural poor for consumption-smoothing and for sustainable income-generating activities. Policy should be directed at developing a market-based financial system for rural finance, but because of market failures to support disadvantaged groups, a special-priority program may be needed to get credit to women, smallholders (with 10 acres or less), and the rural nonfarm sector (small-scale nonfarm activities such as livestock, fishery, forestry, and rangelands, and industrial microenterprises). Subsidizing interest rates is not the way to help marginal borrowers. Instead, they can be helped through fixed-cost subsidies and self-selected targeting. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) should be encouraged to help, keeping in mind such NGO success stories as the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and Badan Kredit Kecaratan (BKK) in Indonesia. Commercial banks should be encouraged to lend on other bases than the mortgage and passbook system. They could experiment with wholesaling credit through input suppliers, marketing agents, and NGOs. They should consider lending for such downstream agricultural activities as agroprocessing. The biggest challenge facing rural finance is the restructuring of cooperatives. The next important step for the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan would be a portfolio audit -- the results of which will determine next steps, such as major restructuring of its portfolio and changing its ownership. To improve rural financing, the system of property rights, title, and default enforcement must also be strengthened, among other reforms. This paper -- a product of the Agricultural and Natural Resources Division, South Asia, Country Department I -- is part of a larger effort in the region to analyze major issues of agricultural growth and rural development in Pakistan and working with the government in developing a strategy to address those issues.
World Bank Discussion Paper No. 291. Discusses the major issues associated with transforming and improving payment systems in emerging market economies. Economic activity requires a system of payments to facilitate trade and exchange between consumers and suppliers of products and services. This paper looks at the differences between payment systems in centrally planned and market economies. The authors examine both short- and long-term methods of improving payment systems. Distinctions between the various payment instruments are made, and the roles of country size, banking structure, and institutional framework are discussed. An appendix provides a summary checklist of information needed to plan adequately for changes in payment systems.
A broader role for rural finance for food security. The saving and borrowing behavior of the food-insecure poor. Innovative rural finance for the poor: a food security perspective. Conclusions for research and policy.
Farm finance consultant, Mary Jo Irmen, shows you how to build a system that will allow you the freedom to borrow money without having to go to the bank. She delivers an eye-opening approach to the core financing challenges of farmers and ranchers--lost control of money and decisions. You will see how you can build a financial system you own and control, keep the interest and principal payments in your pocket, get started in an industry filled with uncertainty, set your own loan terms and take back control of your financial resources. The days of depending on the traditional bankers for farm finance can be put behind you. It is time to look forward and begin to understand how it is possible to farm without the bank.
Since independence, the field of rural credit has traversed a long terrain. This book is a good synthesis of the evolution and development of the domain from a theoretical as well as practical perspective. It is a fundamental literature on rural finance mechanisms as well as financial inclusion initiatives in India. Although the field of rural credit is vast and specialised, the authors have carefully picked up the most important components of this domain, which will be immensely useful to readers to get first-hand knowledge on the subject. While it traces the important institutional mechanisms of rural and agricultural credit in India, it also discusses the emerging paradigms of rural finance and ICT interventions, which can potentially restructure delivery mechanisms to encourage product innovation for serving the financial needs of those at the bottom of the pyramid population. The authors have attempted to cover every important aspect of rural finance by incorporating relevant discussions on institutions, governance, policy framework, schemes, and practices along with issues and concerns in the area of agricultural finance, rural credit and financial inclusion. The text has been woven in a cohesive manner so that the reader can appreciate the historic milestones while comprehending the present situation. Each chapter has been pinned to the larger developmental context to drive home the key issues concerning this field.
