Use of agricultural credit: Tokat province reşadiye district research

This study examines the credit usage patterns (credit sources, reasons for choosing these sources, satisfaction levels, types of credit used, periods, collateral provided, maturities, amounts, repayment status, and considerations when using credit, etc.) of agricultural enterprises in Reşadiye district of Tokat province. The main material of the research consists of data obtained from surveys conducted between July and August 2025 with 125 agricultural enterprises selected using purposive sampling and using agricultural credit from various sources in the research area. Agricultural enterprises engage in both plant and animal production. As of 2024, all agricultural enterprises have utilized credit. Agricultural enterprises obtain credit from multiple sources, with the most significant source being Ziraat Bank (for all enterprises), followed by the Agricultural Credit Cooperative (39.20%), grain merchants (33.60%), private banks (5.60%), and relatives (1.60%). The most important factors influencing agricultural businesses to choose banks for credit are the trustworthiness of the banks and their perception of advantageous interest rates. However, it has been observed that many agricultural businesses prefer to use TKK (Agricultural Credit Cooperatives) because they are cooperative members, and also prefer grain merchants due to their familiarity with them. The survey revealed that agricultural enterprises mostly need credit when working capital is required at different stages of agricultural production, and they predominantly use term-based credit (78.40%), with loan terms ranging from 12 to 18 months (72.80%). It was determined that 63.20% of agricultural enterprises are aware of subsidized loans, and 68.80% utilize them. The most important factors considered when using credit were the interest rate (72.00%), repayment period (38.40%), whether it is a subsidized loan (33.60%), and repayment time (32.80%). Agricultural loans were mostly used to procure inputs necessary for crop and livestock production (fertilizers, fuel, feed, pesticides, animals, tractors and equipment, etc.). It was noted that the most important collateral for obtaining loans was guarantees. A large majority of agricultural enterprises (96%) were able to repay their loans on time. The majority of agricultural enterprises are satisfied with the banks from which they obtained loans and, in general, with the lending practices of the lending institutions. Keywords: Agricultural Enterprise, Financing, Credit, Ziraat Bank, Reşadiye District