Challenges Facing Agribusiness Entrepreneurs in East Africa:

Abstract

The study focused on examining, understaning and comapring the challenges faced by agribsuiness entrepreneurs in East Africa. The specific objectives were to identify sub-sectors in which entrepreneurs annged in, challnges faced by entrepreneurs in trade plicies , bsuiness plan deveopment, financing, liknages and in sourcing from smallholder suppliers, and comapring the challnges acrooss the tree East African countries. It involved 41 respondents who own aand operate different agri-bsuinesss sub-sectors under the AAA platform. Data were collected using structuired electronic word template questionaire. Secodnary data from AAA back office DAES-SUA supplemnetd the questionnaies. Data nalusis involved descrptive statistics where cross- tabulations were run to compare the challenges across EA countries. The results showed that Afrocan Agri-bsuiness Aacademy entrepreneurs are organised in different sub-sectors and they face a munber of challnges which hinder their bsuiness development. Opportiunities and challnges posed by common tariffs fr cross-border trade, import and export policy, and other business piority policies are not eqauly understood. Though they understand the importance of bsuiness palnning as the key stratgey for business success.,. they are not awarees of the very pertinent infrmation resulting from thorough bsuiness envionment scanning, market analyis , and other business feasinbility annalyses used in developing a sellable bsuiness plan. Moreover, the are unfamiliar with bsuiness planning toolkits and costs of developing a tookit were found to be high in Kenya. Banks are the most favourable commerial provider and donor funds and co-funding windows are recomndednfdable alatrenative financing sources. Enterpreneurs also face a challnges of breach of contract and they prefer negotiations/ mutual discussion in settling down disputes. AA Academy’s contribution in delineating the challenges has been through the provision of training, linkages, learning networks, and creation of resource centre to the emerging entrepreneurs. Government’s efforts have been through partnerships. It is recommended that regional agribusiness systems to be instituted which will include but not limited to analysis, forecasting and planning, global market prospecting and promoting, knowledge generation and diffusion, regulation, and legislation, financing support, infrastructure and environmental control activities.