6240 A Study on the Involvement of Farmers in Agripreneurship in Kerala T Radha1 and M .U Renjini 2 ABSTRACT Agriculture and allied activities are considered as the back bone of the Indian economy. In Kerala, farmers are withdrawing from their occupation since they consider farming as non-profitable to earn a living. Thus, there is a need for revolutionary changes in agricultural sector, especially in the field of agri- business. Hence, the study is to assess the involvement of farmers in agripreneurship. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. A well-structured interview schedule was prepared and administered to the selected respondents to collect primary data. Observation and discussion with the selected respondents facilitated the data collection. Fifty farmers, both men and women, from Venganoor, Kottukal and Kalliyoor Panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram were taken as the sample for the study. The study focused on the socio- economic profile, information on the crop varieties, land holdings, factors influencing the involvement of farmers in agripreneurship and future expectations of the respondents. Keywords: Agriculture, Agripreneurship, Involvement, Farmers, Economic, Growth; Kerala 1. Assistant Professor & 2. Ph. D Research Scholar, Department of Home Science Extension Education, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore-641 043, Tamil Nadu. Agriculture entrepreneurship or agripreneurship is the entrepreneurship in the field of agriculture. It establishes agribusiness in agriculture and allied sectors. Traditionally farmers used to cultivate food and cash crops or rear animals and directly sell the products to customers. Instead of sticking to traditional farming activities, farmers now engage in diverse farm related activities for better earning. New avenues are available for farmers to enhance their income from farming. Technology, Government assistance and entrepreneurship development training programmes have considerably contributed to the increase of agripreneurship. Wide variety for farm related enterprises are establishing in the country (Bairwa et al., 2014). Areas of entrepreneurship in agriculture include the activities like dairying, sericulture, floriculture, apiculture, poultry, nursery farming, farm- tourism etc. Other emerging areas include integrated farming, organic farm products, service, supply and maintenance of farm machineries. The present study was conducted to know the extent of involvement of farmers in agripreneurship in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala METHODOLOGY The present study was conducted Research Note Journal of Extension Education Vol. 31 No. 1, 2019 DOI:https://doi.org/10.26725/JEE.2019.1.31.6240-6244 Received : 08-01-2019; Accepted : 11-03-2019 6241 among fifty farmers residing in Venganoor, Kottukal and Kalliyoor panchayats of Thiruvananthapuram. Both primary and secondary data were collected for the study. Survey method was adopted using a well- structured interview schedule to collect primary data. Using interview schedule, face to face interactions were made to collect the information. Farmers were selected using random sampling method. Secondary data were collected from books, journals, websites, etc. The collected data were pooled, tabulated, compared and analysed. FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION The study had made an attempt to assess the involvement of farmers in agripreneurship in selected places of Thiruvananthapuram district in Kerala. The findings regarding the profile characteristics of the respondents are presented in Table 1. Table 1. Profile Characteristics of the Respondents Sl. No. Particulars Number (n=50) Percen tage (%) 1 Age ≤35 years 13 26 36 - 50 years 27 54 >50 years 10 20 2 Gender Male 44 88 Female 6 12 3 Marital status Married 50 100 Unmarried - - Sl. No. Particulars Number (n=50) Percen tage (%) 4 Educational qualification Illiterate 0 0 Primary school 5 10 High school 20 40 Higher Secondary school 14 28 Graduation 9 18 Post - graduation and above 2 4 5 Type of family Nuclear family 34 68 Extended family 15 30 Joint family 1 2 6 Monthly income (in Rs.) Below Rs. 50000 8 12 Rs. 50000 - Rs. 100000 16 32 Above Rs. 100000- Rs. 200000 12 24 Rs. 200000- Rs. 400000 10 20 Above Rs. 400000 4 8 7 Type of land Own 39 78 Rent 11 22 8 Land holdings ≤25 cents 23 46 26 - 50 cents 19 38 >50 cents 8 16 9 Experience in farming ≤5 years 11 22 6 - 10 years 13 26 >10 years 26 52 A Study on the Involvement of Farmers in Agripreneurship in Kerala 6242 It is observed from Table 1 that, regarding age, majority (54 per cent) of the respondents were in the age group of 36- 50 years. Thus, it was interesting to know that participation in agriculture and allied activities is more among the middle aged groups. Male farmers were more (88 per cent) in the study area and the educational status of the respondents reveal that they are qualified enough and are engaged in agriculture and allied activities. Forty per cent of the respondents have an educational qualification up to high school level and it was welcoming to know that no one was illiterate among the study sample. About 32 per cent of the selected farmers earn an income of Rs. 50000 to Rs. 100000 annually from agriculture and only 8 per cent of the respondents earn above Rs. 400000 per annum. Majority (78 per cent) of the respondents make use of their own land for agriculture and agripreneurship activities. Regarding the land holdings, it is less than 25 cents for forty six per cent of the respondents and 52 per cent of the respondents had more than ten years of experience in farming. Regarding the type of agripreneurship activities among the selected respondents, 46 per cent of the respondents take part in agripreneurship activities. Coconut farmers constitute 18 per cent of the samples. They maintain coconut farm for more than ten years and sell coconut, tender coconut and copra. The by- products of coconut like coconut husk and shell are supplied to small scale industries, fertilizer units and handicraft units. A few farmers (5 out of 9) have their own oil mills to extract coconut oil and the residue is sold as cattle feed. About 16 per cent of the respondents are engaged in vegetable, tapioca and banana cultivation. Only six per cent of the respondents are engaged in paddy cultivation. Even though the proportion of paddy cultivation in the study area is very low, it is relatively good. Dairying is another agripreneurship activity engaged in by 12 per cent of the respondents. Cow, goat and buffalo are the major animals reared in the study area. Milk and milk products are supplied from here to nearby households, milk societies and petty shops. It was observed that about 10 per cent of the respondents are engaged in poultry farming. Hen, duck, quail and emu are the birds in the farms of study area. They have their own hatchery units and apart from selling meat, they supply chicks and eggs to other farmers and customers. Journal of Extension Education Sl. No. Particulars Number (n=50) Percen tage (%) 10 Type of farming Coconut 9 18 Vegetables 8 16 Tapioca 8 16 Banana 8 16 Dairying 6 12 Poultry 5 10 Rice 3 6 Mushroom cultivation 2 4 Aquaculture 1 2 6243 Mushroom cultivation is taken up by only four per cent of the farmers. They supply oyster and milky mushrooms to nearby shops and super markets. They sell value added products like mushroom pickle, cutlet, samosa and dried mushroom. They also provide 1 to 5-day training programmes for those who are interested in mushroom cultivation and by- products preparation. Ornamental fish culture is another agripreneurship activity that constitute only two percent in the study area. Several species of ornamental fishes are cultured and marketed in small scale to nearby places. Thus, from the data collected it can be concluded that except vegetable, paddy, banana and tapioca farmers, other 46 per cent of the respondents are engaged in various agripreneurial activities to supplement their income from farming. Factors Influencing the Involvement of Farmers in Agripreneurship Involvement of farmers in agribusiness or various agriculture related entrepreneurial activities are influenced by certain factors. These factors are presented in Table 2. It could be seen from Table 2 that, majority (34 per cent) of the respondents are involved in agripreneurship in order to improve their financial status. About 22 per cent of the respondents opined that it is a means of self- employment opportunities for them. Other factors that made the respondents to engage in agripreneurship are taking up family business (18 per cent), interest towards agriculture (4 per cent), means of improving standard of living (14 per cent) and to avail government schemes and loans (6 per cent). Only two per cent of the respondents felt that since agriculture is seasonal occupation, it makes use of leisure time by engaging in various agripreneurial activities. Future Expectations of the Respondents The study also focussed on revealing the future expectations of the selected respondents (Table 3. ) It was found that majority (30 per cent) of the selected respondents expects better marketing avenues and online and offline ideas on entrepreneurship. About 12 per cent Table 2. Factors Influencing the Involvement of Farmers in Agripreneurship (n=50) Sl. No. Particulars Number Percen tage (%) 1 To improve financial status 17 34 2 Means of self- employment 11 22 3 Family business 9 18 4 Interest in agriculture 2 4 5 Make use of leisure time 1 2 6 To improve standard of living 7 14 7 To avail government schemes and loan 3 6 A Study on the Involvement of Farmers in Agripreneurship in Kerala 6244 of the respondents expect effective usage of farm services and 16 per cent of the samples looking for effective entrepreneurship training programmes. India provides a firm ground for Table 3. Future expectations of the Respondents Sl. No. Particulars Number (n=50) Percen tage (%) 1 Better marketing avenues 15 30 2 Online and offline ideas 15 30 3 Effective usage of farm services 12 24 4 Effective agripreneurship training programmes 8 16 the development of entrepreneurial culture in agribusiness. A strategy must be designed to follow up with farmers to encourage agripreneurship among them. Through the study, the extent of involvement of selected farmers in various agripreneurship activities, factors influencing their involvement and future expectations were analysed in detail. Entrepreneurial potential of farmers have to be identified and measures must be taken to involve more farmers in agribusiness and related entrepreneurial activities. REFERENCES Bairwa, Shoji Lal, Kushwaha, Saket, Meena, Lokesh Kumar & Lakra, Kerobim. (2014). Present status of agriclinics and agribusiness centres scheme in India: An Analysis, International Journal of Scientific Research and Management, 2(9): 1431-1440 Journal of Extension Education