Impact of Agricultural Policies on the Farming Co-Operatives in Katete District Eastern Province of Zambia, 1964-1991

The study establish a historical background as to why co-operative were formed in Katete district Eastern Province of Zambia, as a source of income for bulk of the rural people and social economic consequence of their development. This forms an important historical background and also demonstrates deep roots of the co-operative movement in Zambia. The study also asses the performance of co-operatives and how the agriculture polices impacted on farming co-operatives a period 1964-91. In order to assess the effects of the co-operative movement, the study used data gathered from Katete District, Eastern Province of Zambia from member who once worked in the co-operative societies and non-members of the co-operative societies. Data was collected by means of a qualitative approach using unpublished, published and oral sources which were also consulted. The findings were tentative analyzed strongly and points to the important role that farming co-operatives societies have played on agricultural development in rural areas and this is clearly reflected in the differential performance in farming co-operative activities and the socio-economic attributes of member and non-members. The results indicated a marked difference among categories in terms of access to agriculture inputs, knowledge, and technology acquisition of material. By and large the findings support that the agricultural policies between 1964 and 1991 which was under United National Independence Party (UNIP) were successful in managing co-operatives. There was an advantage in the membership of the co-operative society suggesting co-operatives the catalytic ability of the co-operative movements which boosted agricultural development and thereby, offering a viable channel to peasants to come out of vicious cycle of rural poverty.