Abstract

Rice farming is a profitable enterprise, yet inadequate finance remains a primary constraint to business expansion for smallholder farmers. This study assessed the effectiveness and constraints of the Community-Based Agri-Business Savings and Investments Model (CASIM) among smallholder rice farmers in Jigawa State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected via a semi-structured questionnaire from 100 trial farmers. Using descriptive statistics and a paired T-test analysis, the results demonstrate the model's profound effectiveness. It established a virtuous cycle, leading to statistically significant increases (p<0.01) in yield, income, savings, and investment compared with baseline figures. Consequently, the model enhanced financial resilience by boosting savings, stimulating investment in farm inputs, and significantly reducing debt. Despite this success, key implementation challenges were identified, including gender disparities, low levels of education, and small farm sizes. The findings highlight that targeted; community-based interventions can effectively address systemic financial challenges faced by smallholder farmers.