The impact of supply chain management practices on performance of small and medium enterprises. a case of agro-dealers in Lusaka.

The Agro sector has evolved over the years becoming one of the key sectors in Zambia. This study sought to establish the impact of supply chain management practices on the performance and competitive advantage of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the Agro sector with a focus on Lusaka. The study utilized a quantitative paradigm. The population of interest included all small and medium agro dealers in Lusaka registered with Patents and Companies Regulatory Act (PACRA) as of April 2020. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data from the SMEs. A total of 245 SMEs in the agro- sector were found to be registered with PACRA.A sample size of 171 was determined using the Yamane formula, questionnaires were distributed and 151 were returned. Linear Regression was used to analyze the results from the questionnaires. From the literature review, the most important dimensions that capture SCM practices construct have been chosen, which are: strategic supplier relationships, customer relationships, quality of information sharing, level of information sharing, and which variables were significant using the 95% significance. The researcher employed multiple linear regression and Pearson to determine. From the results obtained using regression analysis, it was shown that implementation of SCM practices resulted in increased performance of the SMEs in the agro sector.
Keywords: Supply Chain Management Practices, Agro-Sector, Small and Medium enterprises