Perceptions, willingness, opportunities, and effects of youth participation in agricultural enterprises.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Agriculture is a pivotal driver of South Africa's economic growth and development, necessitating active participation from the youth to ensure sustainability. Notwithstanding, agricultural production is significantly impacted by adverse climatic conditions, a shortage of labor, and inadequate market access, posing a substantial threat to current and future food security. To mitigate these challenges, imperative enhancements are required within the smallholder farming sector. Addressing these issues will be pivotal for ensuring a resilient and sustainable agricultural system. The integration of youth into agricultural enterprises is very important for the sector's development and improvement due to qualities such as high energy level, ability to use innovative technology, openness to new developmental ideas, and fast thinking. Despite being a critical resource, most of the youth is losing interest, migrating to agriculture and the is low involvement of young people in agriculture which raises concerns about the industry's future. This has resulted in a loss of the most important segment for production and innovation adoption of agriculture which will affect the agricultural output and food security components. This research study seeks to investigate the perceptions, willingness, opportunities, and effects of youth participation in agricultural enterprise factors, focusing on the Umzimvubu Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape province. The study sought to achieve the following specific objectives: (i) profiling the characteristics and involvement of youth in agricultural enterprise, (ii) investigating the nature of youth perceptions and their influence on youth’s aspiration to engage in agricultural enterprises, (iii) assessing challenges and opportunities for youth participating in agricultural enterprises, (iv) determination of factors influencing the willingness and interest of youth participation in agricultural enterprises, (v) determination of the contribution and effects of youth engaged in agricultural enterprise on employment creation and poverty alleviation. The research methodology that was used in the reasons for the phenomenon. The population of interest for this study was drawn from Umzimvubu Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Judgemental sampling was employed to survey 210 youth aged 19-35 years using structured questionnaires, and various statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, Perception and Aspiration Indices, Binary Logistic Regression, and Propensity Score Matching, were conducted. The findings reveal that youth display moderate perceptions regarding agriculture's potential to improve living standards, resulting in generally low aspirations and poor overall perceptions of the industry. Challenges faced by youth in agriculture include poor markets, access to technical assistance, access to mentors, lack of financial support, lack of information on inputs, vi pricing, water scarcity, and insufficient land. Empirical results revealed that household income, size, education, marital status, and perceptions were the main factors influencing youth participation in agricultural enterprises. Propensity Score Matching indicates a positive impact of youth participation on income, suggesting a potential to boost household income and alleviate poverty. The study recommends that policymakers allocate resources strategically and adopt innovative approaches to enhance youth participation in agriculture. The government should prioritize skills development and capacity-building among youth, introducing them to profitable agricultural enterprises that promote decent work practices through trainings. Various strategies, including provision of free or subsidized inputs, market facilitation, technical assistance, and business knowledge, are proposed. Moreover, involving youth in policy and program planning is advocated for a holistic and inclusive approach to sustainable agricultural development.