Pakistan'da Mikro Kredi Katılımı ve Tarımsal Verimlilik: Finansal Okuryazarlık, Dijital Finans ve İklim Şoklarının Rolü

Abstract

Mikrokredi, küçük ölçekli çiftçilerin karşılaştığı finansal kısıtlamaları hafifletmek için uzun zamandır önemli bir araç olarak önerilmektedir. Ancak tek başına tarımsal verimlilik üzerinde etkisinin olamayacağı da bir gerçektir. Bu çalışma, Pakistan'da mikrokrediye başvurmanın verimlilik üzerindeki etkisini, özellikle finansal okuryazarlık, dijital finans kullanımı ve iklim şoklarına maruz kalmanın bu sonuçları nasıl şekillendirdiğine odaklanmıştır. Çalışma Pencap'taki 384 küçük ölçekli çiftçiden toplanan birincil verilerden oluşmaktadır. Elde edilen veriler, mikrokredinin nedensel etkilerini tahmin etmek için eğilim puanı eşleştirme (PSM) analizi ve heterojen etkileri belirlemek için moderatörlü regresyon modelleri kullanılarak test edildi. Bulgular, mikrokredi katılımının ürün verimliliğinde önemli artışlarla ilişkili olduğunu, buğday ve pamuk verimlerinin sırasıyla yaklaşık %13 ve %16 arttığını göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte, bu kazanımlar çiftçiler arasında homojen değildir. Finansal okuryazarlık kritik bir faktör olarak ortaya çıkmakta olup, finansal olarak daha yetenekli çiftçiler krediden önemli ölçüde daha yüksek verimlilik kazanımları elde etmektedir. Benzer şekilde, dijital finansal hizmetlerin kullanımı, likidite yönetimini iyileştirerek, zamanında girdi alımlarını kolaylaştırarak ve işlem maliyetlerini azaltarak mikrokredinin etkinliğini artırmaktadır. Buna karşılık, iklim şoklarına maruz kalma bu faydaları önemli ölçüde zayıflatmakta, krediyle finanse edilen yatırımların getirisini azaltmakta ve tarımsal üretim sistemlerinin kırılganlığını vurgulamaktadır. Genel olarak, sonuçlar mikro kredinin etkinliğinin hem çiftçinin yeteneğine hem de çevresel riske büyük ölçüde bağlı olduğunu göstermektedir. Finansal okuryazarlığı, dijital finansı ve iklim kırılganlığını analize entegre ederek, bu çalışma tarımsal finansman ve kırsal kalkınma üzerine giderek artan literatüre katkıda bulunmaktadır. Bulgular, küçük ölçekli çiftçiler arasında sürdürülebilir verimlilik kazanımları elde etmek için kredi sağlamayı finansal eğitim, dijital kapsayıcılık ve iklime dayanıklı tarımsal uygulamalarla birleştiren entegre politika yaklaşımlarına duyulan ihtiyacın altını çizmektedir.

Keywords

• Mikrokredi
• Tarımsal Verimlilik
• İklim değişikliği
• Finansal okuryazarlık
• Dijital finans

Ethical Statement

There is no need to obtain permission from the ethics committee for this study.

Microcredit Participation and Farm Productivity in Pakistan: The Role of Financial Literacy, Digital Finance and Climate Shocks

Abstract

Microcredit has long been suggested as an important tool for alleviating the financial constraints faced by small-scale farmers. However, it is also true that it cannot have an impact on farm productivity on its own. This study examines the impact of microcredit participation on farm productivity among smallholder farmers in Pakistan and investigates the moderating roles of financial literacy, digital finance use, and climate shock exposure. Primary data were collected from 384 wheat and cotton farmers in Punjab and Sindh Provinces, the obtained data were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the causal effects of microcredit, and moderated regression models to identify heterogeneous effects. The findings indicate that microcredit participation is associated with significant increases in crop productivity, with wheat and cotton yields rising by approximately 13% and 16%, respectively. The productivity gains are significantly larger among farmers with higher level of financial literacy and those utilizing digital financial services. In contrast, exposure to climate shocks significantly weakens these benefits, reducing the returns to credit-financed investments and highlighting the vulnerability of agricultural production systems. Overall, the results demonstrate that the effectiveness of microcredit is highly conditional on both farmer capability and environmental risk. By integrating financial literacy, digital finance, and climate vulnerability into the analysis, this study contributes to the growing literature on agricultural finance and rural development. The findings underscore the need for integrated policy approaches that combine credit provision with financial education, digital inclusion, and climate-resilient agricultural practices to achieve sustainable productivity gains among smallholder farmers.

Keywords

• Microcredit
• Farm productivity
• Financial literacy
• Digital finance
• Climate shocks

Ethical Statement

There is no need to obtain permission from the ethics committee for this study.

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