3.2 Factors Influencing Loan Repayment
To determine the explanatory variables that are good predictors of the loan repayment performance of rural
smallholder farmers in East Hararghe zone specifically Babile and Combolcha districts, the two-limit tobit
regression model was estimated. The results of the analysis are presented in Table 3.
A total of 16 explanatory variables were considered in the econometric model out of which 7 variables were found
to significantly influence the probability of being non-defaulter and intensity of loan recovery among the farm
households at less than 5 percent level of probability. The result from tobit regression model shows that agro
ecological zone (X1), off-farm activity (X6), production loss (X7), informal credit (X8), celebration of social
ceremonies (X11), number of contact days of the farm household lead with extension agents (X12) and loan
income ratio (X14) are important factors influencing the loan repayment performance of small holder farmers in
the study area.