Assessment of Youth’s Perception and Participation in Agricultural-Based Livelihoods in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed youths’ perception and participation in agricultural-based livelihoods in Shendam Local Government area of Plateau State. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 180 respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics, four point Likert scale and Logit regression were used to achieve the objectives of the study. Findings from the study showed the youths were 27 years on average. About 59% of the youths were males and 80% of them married.  44% of the youths had secondary education and a mean farming experience of 8 years. About 74% of the youths participated in agricultural livelihoods as majority (72%) of them reside in the rural areas. Majority of the youths had positive perception of agricultural-based livelihoods. The agriculture-based activities the youths participated in were; crop farming (54%), livestock farming (32%), agricultural product marketing (12%), agricultural products processing (9.4%), fish farming (7%) nursery raising (3.3%) and honey making (2%). Age, educational status, marital status and parents’ occupation were significant factors that influenced youths’ participation in agricultural-based livelihoods. The major constraints to youths’ participation in agricultural-based livelihoods included inadequate credit facilities (43.3%), lack of effective agricultural insurance policy (39.4%), insufficient initial capital (36%) among others. The study recommends an urgent need to stimulate the interest of the youths in agriculture early in life through career guidance. Grants should be provided to agriculture graduates who want to embark on commercial agriculture shortly after graduation. Incentives such as input supply, good market outlet and attractive price of agricultural produce should be put in place to encourage youth and make them know that agriculture can be profitable. Policies should be designed to encourage suitable access to credit facility since it was found to be a strong factor that prevents youth from embarking on large scale agricultural production.