6073 Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs in Adopting KAU (Kerala Agricultural University) Technology Raju Parashuram Naik1 and S. Helen2 ABSTRACT A study was conducted with the objective of studying the constraints faced by agripreneurs in adopting KAU (Kerala Agricultural University) technology. A sample of 100 respondents who had adopted KAU technology were selected using simple random sampling technique. The study revealed that lack of adequate money for day-to-day expenses was the most important financial constraint faced by the agripreneurs, followed by lack of market information. Non-availability of input materials and high labour cost were the major production and labour constraints and multiple roles was the major personal constraint faced by the agripreneurs. Keywords : Agripreneurs; Constraints; Kerala Agricultural University; Technology 1. P.G. Scholar and 2. Professor, Communication Centre, Kerala Agricultural University, Mannuthy-680 651, Thrissur, Kerala, India. Received : 06-06-2018; Accepted : 30-08-2018 INTRODUCTION A shift from farming to agribusiness is an important pathway to rejuvenate Indian agriculture and to make more appealing and profitable venture. Agripreneurship have the potential to add to a scope of social and economic advancement, for example, income generation, employment creation, poverty reduction and development in health, nutrition and overall food security in the national economy. Agripreneurship is defined as “generally, sustainable, community-oriented, directly-marketed agriculture. Sustainable agriculture denotes a holistic, system oriented approach to farming that focuses on the interrelationships of social, economic, and environmental processes” (Nagalakshmi and Sudhakar, 2013). Agricultural businesses are always coupled with inherent ambiguity associated with agricultural production. Some significant sources of uncertainty in agribusiness include production risk, price risk, financial risk and changes in government programmes. In India, 52% of the total land is cultivable as against 11% in the world (Uplaonkar and Biradar, 2015). Large population of India is dependent on agriculture for their source of revenue. But Indian agriculture is low in productivity with large number of disguised unemployment. But it is clear that there is a great scope for entrepreneurship in agriculture and this potential can be tapped only by effective Research Article Journal of Extension Education Vol. 30 No. 2, 2018 DOI:https://doi.org/10.26725/JEE.2018.2.30.6073-6078 Research Article Journal of Extension Education Vol. 30 No. 1, 2018 DOI:https://doi.org/10.26725/JEE.2018.1.30.5996-5999 6074 management of different components by an individual with risk bearing capacity and a quest for latest knowledge in agriculture sector to prove as right agripreneurs. Agripreneurship is an employment strategy that can lead to economic self-sufficiency of rural people. In this direction, KAU (Kerala Agricultural University) Kerala has taken earnest and concerted effort to consolidate, showcase and disseminate the various technologies generated suitable for entrepreneurship and skill development. Hence it was felt appropriate to study the constraints faced by the agripreneurs in adopting KAU technologies. METHODOLOGY The present study was conducted in Central zone of Kerala. The list of clients who had adopted KAU technologies were collected from the extension centres of Kerala Agricultural University viz., Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Communication Centre and Central Training Institute of Thrissur district during 2014 and 2015. One hundred clients who had adopted KAU technologies were selected using simple random sampling technique to form the sample. Constraints faced by the agripreneurs were classified under financial, marketing, production and labour and personal constraints. It was analyzed using the index method followed by Aiswarya (2016) with suitable modifications. Agripreneurs were asked to rate the constraints on a three point continuum scale. The response of the agripreneurs were assigned score of 3, 2 and 1 indicating ‘More serious’, ‘Serious’ and ‘Less serious’ respectively. The total score of each constraint was calculated by summing up the values obtained and index was calculated for consolidating and comparing the seriousness of the problems. The following formula was used for calculating the index of each statement and composite index for all the classified constraints: Index of each statement = Total score for each statment Maximum score of the statement Composite Index = ∑ x MxNxS X 100 X 100 Where, ∑ x = sum of total scores of all statements (Sum of frequencies multiplied by weight) M = Maximum score N = Number of respondents S = Number of statements FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION Constraints faced by the agripreneurs were classified under financial, marketing, production and labour and personal constraints and are presented here. Journal of Extension Education 6075 Table 1 Financial Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs (n=100) Sl. No. Financial constraints More serious Serious Less serious Total scores Index % % % - 1 Lack of adequate money for day-to- day expenses 5.00 62.00 33.00 172 57.33 2 Insufficient financial assistance by financial institutions 4.00 17.00 79.00 125 41.66 3 Problems of security and margin money 4.00 16.00 80.00 124 41.33 4 Tight repayment schedule 0 3.00 97.00 103 34.33 5 Inadequate loan 0 29.00 71.00 129 43.00 6 Delay in sanction of loan 0 0 100 100 33.33 7 Entire loan is not disbursed at a time 0 4.00 96.00 104 34.66 8 Less subsidy amount 2.00 20.00 78.00 124 41.33 Composite index 40.87 Lack of adequate money for day- to-day expenses was the most important constraint faced by the agripreneurs with index value of ’57.33, followed by insufficient financial assistance by financial institutions (41.66), problems of security & margin money (41.33) and less subsidy amount (41.33). Table 2 Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs in Marketing (n=100) Sl. No. Constraints in marketing More serious Serious Less serious Total score Index % % % - - 1 Long distance to the market 1.00 1.00 98.00 103 34.33 2 Lack of transportation facilities 0 8.00 92.00 108 36.00 3 Lack of market information 7.00 41.00 52.00 155 51.66 4 Low price for the produce 10.00 26.00 64.00 146 48.66 5 Delay in payments 2.00 7.00 91.00 111 37.00 Composite index 41.53 Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs in Adopting KAU (Kerala Agricultural University) Technology 6076 Lack of market information was the more serious constraint in marketing with index value ‘51.66’, followed by low price for the produce (48.66), as perceived by the agripreneurs. As the respondents were not aware of the real time market information available in the related websites, they expressed the constraint on lack of market information as more serious. Exposure on the websites providing market information may overcome this constraint. Table 3. Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs in Production and Labour Management (n=100) Sl. No. Constraints in Production and Labour More serious Serious Less serious Total score Index % % % - - 1 Non availability of input materials 9.00 67.00 24.00 185 61.66 2 High labour cost 9.00 60.00 31.00 178 59.33 3 Non availability of skilled workers 7.00 26.00 67.00 140 46.66 4 High cost of inputs 4.00 11.00 85.00 119 39.66 Composite index 51.82 It is seen from Table 3 that non availability of input materials (61.66) and high labour cost (59.33) were the major constraints, followed by non availability of skilled workers (46.66) and high cost of inputs (39.66) perceived by agripreneurs in production and Journal of Extension Education Table 4 Personal Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs (n=100) Sl. No. Personal constraints More serious Serious Less serious Total scores Index % % % - - 1 Health problem 1.00 1.00 98.00 103 34.33 2 Lack of leisure time 15.00 10.00 75.00 140 46.66 3 Multiple roles 13.00 45.00 42.00 171 57.00 4 Low education 0 4.00 96.00 104 34.66 5 Non-cooperation of family members 0 0 100 100 33.33 Composite index 41.19 6077 labour management. As the supply of most of the input materials are monopolized by few agencies, the agripreneurs were facing the shortage of supply of inputs during peak seasons and sudden price rise of the input materials. It is observed from Table 4 that ‘multiple roles’ was the most important constraint faced by agripreneurs. Most of the respondents were engaged in other activities along with agribusiness as their subsidiary occupation. Therefore, they were not able to concentrate in agribusiness alone as they had to satisfy different responsibilities on various capacities. Non availability of required inputs, skilled labour and high cost of labour were the serious problems faced by agripreneurs. Production and labour constraints received the highest index value (51.82) among all constraints indicating that production and labour were the major constraints faced by agripreneurs, followed by marketing related constraints (41.53). CONCLUSION The study has clearly shown that the agripreneurs face production and labour management constraints predominantly followed by marketing related constraints. Non availability of required inputs, skilled labour and high cost of labour were the serious problems faced by agripreneurs. The extension centres of Kerala Agricultural University may prepare tailor made syllabus according to the specific demands, interests and requirements of a group of trainees. Training Need Assessment studies may be conducted before organizing the training programmes. Apart from imparting technical skills, the training modules should include the subject areas like, sources of funds available for starting agribusiness, services of financial institutions, details of government schemes available for agripreneurs, pro-active managerial skills and soft skills required for managing agribusiness, judicious use of available resources, maintenance of records, sharing responsibilities with fellow members, ways of enhancing entrepreneurial competencies, access to real time market information using ICT tools and Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs in Adopting KAU (Kerala Agricultural University) Technology Figure 1. Constraints Faced by Agripreneurs 6078 available technologies on mechanizing agri- enterprises. REFERENCES Aiswarya, S. (2016). Emotional intelligence among the employees of ESAF Microfinance and Investment (P) Ltd. Unpublished MBA(ABM) thesis, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, 88p. Nagalakshmi, T., & Sudhakar, A. (2013). Agri- preneurs: A Case Study of Dharmapuri Farmers. International Journal of Science and Research. 2(8): 208-214. Uplaonkar, S. S. & Biradar, S. S. (2015). Development of agriculture in India through agripreneurs. International Journal of Applied Research. 1(9): 1063-1066. Journal of Extension Education