Entrepreneurial Skills Needed by Farm Youths for Enhanced Agricultural Productivity

Abstract

This study investigated the entrepreneurial skills needed by farm youths in agricultural production in the rural parts of Oyo and Oke-ogun area of Oyo state, Nigeria using survey research design. Six research questions guided the study.  Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the subjects for the study. The subjects comprised 300 farm youths born or nurtured by farming households or by farmer parents living in a village, which is predominantly considered as a farming community. A survey questionnaire titled ‘Entrepreneurial Skills Survey (ESS)’ was used in collecting data from the subjects in the study area. The simple percentage, mean and t-test at 0.05 significance level were the statistical tools used for data analysis. The results revealed a comprehensive list of the entrepreneurial skills that every farm youth should possess for enterprise success and growth such as: personal characteristics, interpersonal skills, critical and creative thinking skills among others. The study concluded that farm youths must continue to strive for excellence in their farm operations by possessing the right skills that are in demand, which should include continued time and effort to maintain and improve their entrepreneurial skills.

Keywords: Farm youths, Entrepreneurial Skills, and Enhanced Agricultural Productivity