A Dissertation Submitted in Partial/Fulfillment of the Requirements for Award
of the Degree of Master of Business Administration in Corporate Management
(MBA-CM) ofMzumbe University
The study examined the role of access to market and finance in upgrading sunflower
value chain in Tanzania specifically aiming at examining the determinants of access
to market and access to finance among sunflower producers and sunflower oil
processors and their relationship with upgrading sunflower value chain. The case
the study research design was adopted based in Singida Region and involved 80
respondents who were selected using a simple random sampling method. The
research data was obtained by administering the study questionnaire to all
respondents and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in
frequency tables, numbers, percentages and Bar charts.
It was established that the availability of consumers of sunflower oils and the
availability of different market places in rural and urban areas was among the very
important determinants of access to market among sunflower producers and
processors.Participation of large traders in sunflower value chains and the
availability, accessibility of credit/loans from micro-financial institutions were
among the very important determinants of access to finance among sunflower
producers and processors. Besides, the study revealed the existence of a very strong
a positive and statistically significant relationship between access to market and access
to finance with upgrading sunflower the value chain. In this relationship, it was
established that a unit increase in the access to market among sunflower producers
and processors could upgrade the sunflower value chain by 35.6538%. Meanwhile, a
a unit increase in access to finance among sunflower producers and processors could
upgrade sunflower value chain by 45.4168%.
The study recommended that the initiatives for upgrading the sunflower values chain
should consider the very great role that accesses to market and access to finance play in
the sunflower value by ensuring the availability of consumers of sunflower, improve
the availability of different market places in rural and urban areas and establish
network from sunflower production to final consumers by supporting with the urban-rural transport network. Also, the Government should create an environment to
attract the participation of large traders in the sunflower value chain, improve
availability, accessibility of credit/loans from micro-financial institutions and
individuals and ensure the involvement of Banks in the sunflower value chain.