ABSTRACT
Credit for agriculture in developing countries is provided by commercial and development banks and by rural financial intermediaries, each serving a particular clientele. Commercial banks serve the largest farmers and operate under rigid commercial practices, characterized by, among other things, strong clientele selection criteria and market rates of interest. Development banks serve the small and medium commercial farmers and follow development oriented policies. Rural financial intermediaries serve the most isolated farmers and those that do not qualify as viable according to the criteria of formal lenders. The concern of this book is with development finance institutions and particularly with the Agricultural Development Banks (ADBs).
