Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1971

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Agricultural Economics

Major Professor

James G. Snell

Committee Members

Charles L. Cleland, Charles Sappington

Abstract

The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine West Tennessee farmers' attitudes toward short term and long term credit, and credit in general, and (2) to compare the socioeconomic characteristics of the farmer to his attitudes about credit. The data was obtained from a sample of 150 farmers in six counties of West Tennessee. A multiple regression analysis was used to determine the effect of the variables which were hypothesized to have an effect upon the farmers' attitude toward credit. One regression equation was developed for each of the four types of credit attitudes. The short term credit attitude equation showed that none of the eleven independent variables were significant. However, when they were considered as a group, the entire equation was significant. Age, crop farmers, farm size, and livestock product farmers were all negatively associated with short term credit attitude. It was shown in the second equation that two of the independent variables, farm size and Production Credit Association borrowers, were positively associated with long term credit attitude. This equation was also significant and had the highest R2 value of the four equations. Long term credit attitudes were found to be negatively associated with farmers age, sons over 14 living at home, and the farmers wife having a job off the farm. In the third equation, an increasing educational level for the farmer and being a Production Credit Association borrower were positively associated with farmers' attitudes toward credit in general. However, the equation as a group was not significant and only livestock farmers had a negative general credit attitude association. The overall credit attitude equation was significant and the R2 value was significantly different from zero. The educational level of the farmer, and whether the farmer borrowed from the Production Credit Association were positively associated with overall credit attitude. The farmers wife having an off farm job and the farmer being a livestock farmer were negatively associated with favorable overall credit attitudes.

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