Financial Pathways to Sustainable Farmers' Future

Financial inclusion is a critical determinant of agricultural productivity and economic resilience among smallholder rice farmers in developing contexts, including the Philippines. Despite existing initiatives, farmers often face barriers such as limited access to formal credit, inadequate infrastructure, and high service costs, which constrain effective utilization of financial services. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the current state, outcomes, and influencing factors of financial inclusion among rice farmers in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.
A descriptive-correlational quantitative research design was employed. Data were collected using a structured survey questionnaire administered to 321 rice farmers selected through stratified random sampling across six barangays. The instrument captured respondents’ demographic profiles, access to financial services, financial literacy, and utilization of credit, savings, insurance, and digital platforms. Instrument validity was ensured through expert review, and reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, t-tests, and Pearson correlation to determine levels, differences, and relationships among variables.
Results indicate that financial inclusion among rice farmers was moderate, with financial literacy being the strongest component. Utilization of services remained constrained by infrastructure gaps, distance, and affordability. Significant relationships were observed between technology adoption and financial inclusion outcomes (r = 0.489–0.523, p < 0.001) and between geographical proximity to financial institutions and outcomes (r = 0.362–0.438, p < 0.001). Demographic variables such as income, education, and employment status also significantly influenced access and affordability of financial services.
The findings highlight that enhancing financial inclusion requires targeted interventions focusing on financial literacy, credit accessibility, cooperative support, digital readiness, and risk protection. These quantitative insights provide a data-driven foundation for policy and program design aimed at improving utilization of financial services, economic empowerment, and sustainable agricultural development.

Financial Inclusion, Rice Farmers, Agricultural Credit, Economic Empowerment, Digital Finance, Cooperative Support

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