Identifying the Gap Between the Demand and Supply of Agricultural Finance Among Irrigation Farmers in Namibia

Abstract

This chapter attempts to answer the question of how wide the agricultural finance gap is in Namibia and the causes of such a gap. Focusing on the demand-supply gap analysis theory, the chapter draws attention to the magnitude of finance gaps found in other countries and reasons why a finance gap exists in agriculture citing methodologies explained by various authors. A quantitative approach is explored to estimate the finance gap in Namibia and a qualitative approach to explain the causes of such a gap using narratives. The study concludes by providing examples from successful banks such as Bank Rakyat Indonesia on some of the alternative ways to provide finance to irrigation farmers.