A study of the viability of Zambia co-operative federation (ZCF) installed solar milling plants in Zambia.

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Date
2024
Authors
Nkandu, George
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Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
Zambia co-operative federation has been occupied with the desire to supply affordable and quality mealie meal to the rural communities, sustain a viable projection through loan collection while maintaining “public trust”. The aim of this study is to critically evaluate the viabilities of the Solar milling plants and thought process of cooperatives in rural areas on repaying back of loans using pragmatic action research. This thesis contributes to the empirically and theoretically based understanding of, the impact of the presidential funds in Zambia. A case study of Solar Milling plants across Zambia via ZCF. This study was a participatory in nature, hence, a cross sectional approach was undertaken in the first half of 2018, 2019 and part of 2020 to access primary, district and provincial corporative responses regarding viability of the solar milling plants in the community and to ZCF. In the results, several findings were established which tried to satisfy the objectives of the study. The correlation model revealed that there was a significant difference in between monthly target and monthly recovery fund. A weak relationship was found between the two variables that indicate differences exist between the two groups. This implies that a the viability of solar milling plant and loan recovery is low and not very feasible. This result was found to be significant with p values less than 0.05 and the entire model was significant at p-values (0.0387<0.05). Regarding the factors related to Zambia Co-operative Federation (ZCF) Debt recovery on the installed solar milling plants in Zambia were revealed to repayment history, capacity of machine, Binding cooperative contract, raw material and system of recovery, OR=0.8494, p=0.001. It was also found that despite minor difference these factors were established to directly relate to debt rectory. All in all the study established that although, the trend has been going up, the PI trend is still below 1. This means each invested dollar is generating revenue of less than 1 dollar. Since the profitability index is less than 1, the project should be rejected. Recommendations have been made to ZCF management to also provide resources for the cooperatives who are managing the milling plants with startup capital to buy maize and packaging materials for the mealie meal and also provide tools for recovery officers to use when following up loan payments from cooperatives. The need to train cooperators on corporate governance, book keeping so that there is comprehensive general accountability. There is need also to increase revenue collections for the federation through support system where co-operatives are assisted with resource base to buy raw materials needed for production, By doing that co-operatives will have products readily available for communities to come buy thereby making sales and thus revenue in a sustainable manner while maintaining “public trust”, the paper ought to improve the sports pages by restructuring the entire sport desk.
Description
Thesis of Masters of Business Administration- Management Strategy.
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