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Abstract
The small and marginal farmers were more dependent on the private credit sources with higher interest rate for their family needs and timely agricultural practices. Drought, pest and disease incidence, higher input cost, less product price and non-timely availability of credit were the major reasons for indebtedness of the small and marginal farmers. In this context, microcredit through bank linkage selfhelp groups (SHGs) served as the credit source to the small and marginal farmers. A study was conducted on the tribal and non-tribal SHG and non-SHG members in western Tamil Nadu in order to study the impact of microfinance on income of members and non-members of self-help groups on the selected tribal and non-tribal women in the study area. In the case of tribal SHG members, income from agricultural source was Rs. 48772 compared with Rs. 29900 of non-members. The average annual income of SHG members in before operation period was Rs. 11944 and it was Rs. 21415 in after implementation period and the difference was Rs. 9471. The non-tribal SHG member’s average annual income difference between the two periods before and after implementation period was Rs. 17332.Non-follow up practices from government officials was the main problem faced by SHG members in tribal sample farmers.