Fertilizer and Agrochemicals Sales Performance in Manicaland at Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This dissertation attempts to highlight the fertilizer and agrochemical sales performance in Manicaland with a case study of Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company (ZFC) during a ten year period that is from year 2009 to year 2019.The paper also highlight the challenges facing fertilizers and agrochemicals demand and supply in Manicaland and put the strategies that will increase the inputs sales. The aim was to assess fertilizer and agrochemicals, to evaluate the shifts in fertilizers and agrochemicals consumption in Manicaland. To assess the causes of sales performance shifts at ZFC, and come up with strategies to increase fertilizers and agrochemical sales. The fertilizer and Agrochemical sales will be increased starting from the production level through the value chain system with the involvement of local ago dealer to the farmers. The financing mechanism such as developing Zimbabwe’s fertilizer and agrochemical manufacturing capacity, provision of foreign currency to import raw materials, and agricultural loans to farmers with low interest rates. The Consumption of fertilizers in Manicaland is affected by several factors that include inputs prices (Fertilizers and Chemicals), output producer prices, area under cultivation, weather conditions, irrigation facilities, availability of credits, and cultural farming practices adapted by farmers. The influence of these factors is weighted differently by farmers with various hacterage of land and their impacts vary on the consumption of fertilizers and agricultural chemicals in Manicaland province. The researcher used both quantitative research design and qualitative research to assess the sales performance. The study covered Mutare district, Mutasa district, Makoni district, Nyanga district, Buhera district and will not cover Chipinge district and Chimanimani district. The sale from each district was extracted from Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company board of director’s reports and questionnaire was stratified randomly distributed to the customers (Farmers, Agrodelers and NGO) in each district. The Population is 200 customers consist of farmers, Agrodelers and NGO and the sample size is 60, the data was analysed using SPSS statistical package. There was a gradual decrease in fertilizers and agrochemicals from year 2009 to 2019.The slight decrease in fertilizers and agrochemicals in 2007 was due to the introduction of command agriculture. Farmer cited that they considered product availability, bulk delivery, credit facilities, technical support, strength of brand and promotional materials when purchasing fertilizers and agrochemicals. The results will assist Zimbabwe Fertilizer Company adopt advertising and promotional strategies so that it will increase the market share. The results will assist policy makers in making sure that yield is increased at a lower cost that making it sustainable to farmer that will increase the gross domestic product of Zimbabwe. Product availability was considered as the most important factor. Advertising promotional material fertilizer bulk delivery was considered as the most important strategy. In the future need to measure the profit levels of the company and to have crop information and hectarage grown as this affects the sales performance.