A Study of the Factors that Affect Agribusiness Financing in Zambia (A Case Study of Smallholder Farmers in Chibombo District)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10934613Keywords:
agriculture financing, smallholder framers, agribusiness, gross domestic product (gdp), microfinanceAbstract
Limited access to agricultural financing is a constraint to the development of the Smallholder Farmers (SHFs) of the agriculture sector. This research aimed to address three fundamental objectives: the extent of financial inclusivity, the factors influencing access to finance, and the exploration of alternative financing models. A descriptive research design was employed which led to the adoption of a mixed-methods approach. A total of 100 out of 48,000 SHFs in Chibombo District were purposively sampled. The findings revealed that only 19% of SHFs surveyed reported having accessed credit and only 8% of rural SHFs were utilizing formal banking services. The study delved into credit access challenges, both on the demand and supply sides, results indicated that, the variables (gender, age, income) had weak statistically significant impact on the likelihood of borrowing money at the 0.05 significance level. However, it was noted that the p-values for gender and income were relatively close to the significance level indicating potential impact. In response to these challenges, the research proposed innovative financing models including mobile money lending, peer-to-peer lending, guarantee schemes, collateral substitutes and group lending. The study recommended that the Government and other stakeholders should strengthen technological infrastructure, develop and implement tailored financial education programs and encourage diversification of agriculture activities, and develop regulatory framework for mobile money lending to ensure consumer protection and fair competition.
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