Multi-Originator Structured Debt Funds in Agriculture: Bridging India's Smallholder Credit Gap Amid Farmer Distress
Rahul Reddy Talakola
Policy Analyst – Infrastructure & PPP Reforms
Andhra Pradesh
Abstract
India's agricultural sector confronts a persistent financing crisis, with over 390,000 farmer suicides since 1995 and 60% of smallholders excluded from formal credit, trapping millions in informal debt at 24-60% annual rates. This review article examines multi-originator structured debt funds (MOSDFs) as financial vehicles that pool smallholder loans from banks, MFIs, cooperatives, and agri-tech platforms into risk-stratified tranches to attract institutional capital which shall arise as a potential solution. While India lacks a dedicated agricultural MOSDF as of 2026, existing multi-originator securitization in microfinance (MOSEC) and mature securitization markets provide proven infrastructure.
Key differences from traditional banking include risk distribution across tranches, capital recycling via securitization, value-chain collateral (contracts over land titles), and blended finance to lower effective rates to 12-18%. Applications span input finance, FPO loans, post-harvest credit, and climate-smart investments across diversified crop/geographies.
Global success stories like Mexico's FIRA guarantees (US$6B scaled lending), Kenya's Aceli Africa (32,600 loans/US$1.98B), Eastern Europe's warehouse receipt securitization, and India's MOSEC which demonstrate 91-98% repayment rates when linked to value chains and technical support.
An unbiased assessment reveals MOSDFs could reach 30-40% of India's 140 million smallholders over 10-15 years by expanding credit quantum, reducing informal lending, and enabling technology adoption, but face scale, data, moral hazard (debt waivers), and anchor capital challenges. Success requires NABARD-anchored pilots in 3-5 FPO-strong states, policy certainty, and digital infrastructure. MOSDFs shall complement but not replace the KCC/AIF schemes, offering a market-based path to alleviate agrarian distress without fiscal overstretch
