A Study of the Perception of Rural Youth Regarding Adaptation of Agripreneurship in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, India
Abhijeet
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, UP (208002), India.
Harish Chandra Singh
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, UP (208002), India.
Pawan Kumar Gupta
School of Agricultural Sciences, BBD University, Lucknow, U.P. (226028), India.
Nitin Rajput *
Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar, Banaskantha, Gujrat (385506), India.
Haresh Pratap Singh
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, UP (208002), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Agripreneurship is increasingly discussed as a livelihood option for rural youth, but perceived opportunities differ across enterprises and socioeconomic circumstances. This study assessed rural youths’ perceptions of agricultural entrepreneurship in two districts of the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Methods: An observational, ex post facto survey was conducted with 240 respondents from 12 villages in four blocks of Lalitpur and Banda districts. The districts were purposively chosen, with random selection at subsequent sampling stages. Respondents were interviewed using a pre-tested, structured schedule. Item means, overall perception categories and bivariate correlations were summarised.
Results: Livestock farming obtained the highest item mean (4.60), followed by digital marketing (4.45) and agricultural technology (4.42); the lowest item means concerned renewable energy in farming (2.36) and organic farming (2.39). The overall perception score had a reported mean of 76.89 (standard deviation of 7.38). Most respondents were classified as having medium perception (159/240; 66.25%), while 39 (16.25%) and 42 (17.50%) were classified as low and high, respectively. Reported correlations with overall perception were positive and modest, including economic motivation (r = 0.236), education (r = 0.217) and extension contact (r = 0.212).
Conclusion: Respondents expressed comparatively favourable views of livestock, digital marketing and agricultural technology, but lower ratings for several other activities. The findings identify topics for locally tailored information and enterprise-support initiatives. Interpretation is constrained by purposive district selection, incomplete documentation of instrument properties and the clustered sampling design.
Keywords: Agripreneurship, agricultural extension, entrepreneurial perception, rural youth, Bundelkhand, livelihood diversification