Lack of access to credit has been identified as one of the main factors militating against the
development of smallholder agriculture. Even though some financial institutions are not
considering agricultural finance because of the risks and uncertainties associated with crop
production, there are still some institutions who have found innovative ways of extending credit
to smallholder farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana. This study therefore sought to
document the different types of institutional credit available to farmers and farmer groups in the
region. Primary data was collected through key informant interviews using a checklist.
Qualitative analysis was employed to generate results for discussion. Institutions that were found
to provide agricultural credit included banks, farmer associations, microfinance and nongovernmental
organizations. Different institutions have different criteria for granting credit, and
credit may be in kind or in cash. There are factors, both internal and external to farmers or farmer
groups, which threaten their access to agricultural credit from institutions. These factors include
farmer’s attitude, socio-economic and farm characteristics, and environmental conditions. The
study therefore recommends among others, the need to educate farmers and farmer groups on the
essence of record keeping, operating a bank account, and credit management and repayment.