Since instituting the Reform and Opening policy，variations in the trajectory of economic development in China has led to distinct regional differences in the credit market of Chinese rural areas. In western China，an area in which economic development is comparatively backward，farm households constitute the majority of the rural credit market. Therefore，identifying characteristics of the credit market of farm households in western China is not only beneficial for the economic development of western rural areas but also for the overall growth and stability of rural credit markets. Using the definition of “western areas”outlined by the statistics bureau，this paper generally analyzes the characteristics of both the regular and irregular credit for farm households in western China.

罗剑朝:西北农林科技大学教授，博士生导师，农村金融研究所所长；中共陕西省委讲师团特聘专家教授、陕西省首批农业专家服务团成员、中国国外农业经济研究会常务理事；教育部“长江学者和创新团队发展计划”创新团队带头人、教育部第三届“高校青年教师奖”入选者，国务院政府特殊津贴专家，陕西省“三秦人才津贴”专家，陕西省省级教学团队农村金融教学团队带头人。先后主持教育部“长江学者和创新团队发展计划”创新团队课题、国家自然科学基金课题等项目30多项，在国内外高水平期刊发表论文300多篇，出版专著和教材20多部，荣获学术奖励10多项。