Abstract:
Agriculture and related businesses in Ghana for the past decades have
been the preserve for the smallholder, aged and illiterate farmers.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students graduate in Agricultural Sciences from
the universities over the years. This study seeks to investigate potential
determinants of the entrepreneurial spirit of agricultural students to
do self-employed businesses in the agricultural sector. A survey of
165 undergraduate students of agriculture in the University of Cape
Coast, Ghana was undertaken to examine factors that influence their
decision to enter into agribusiness as a self-employment venture after
graduation. The results show that the majority of the students were males
(87%) and approximately, 67% were willing to enter into agribusiness after school. The factors that students perceived to be hindrance to entering into agribusiness was the market competition of agro-products with
imported products, unstable prices of agro-products, absence of insurance
policy for agribusiness and unfavourable land tenure arrangement in
Ghana. Correlation analysis showed negative and significant relationship
between students’ willingness to enter agribusiness as a self-employment
venture and the following personal characteristics: (1) level of education
of mother, (2) level of education of guardian other than parents, (3) students who live in farming communities and (4) students who undertake
farming activities at home. There were also positive and significant relationships between students’ willingness to enter agribusiness and the
following: (1) availability of market for agro-products, (2) accessibility
of market for agro-products and (3) accessibility of transportation facilities for agribusiness. Regression analysis showed that (1) level of
education of mother, (2) students living in farming communities, (3)
accessibility of transportation facilities for agribusiness and (4) accessibility of market for agro-product were the factors that best predict
undergraduate agricultural students’ willingness to enter into agribusiness as a self-employment venture after graduation. To motivate students
to take agribusiness as self-employment after graduation, the study
suggests the development of comprehensive and sustainable long-term
policy to inspire and attract the youth into agribusiness; creation of conducive environment to minimise risk and constraints associated with
agribusiness in Ghana
