Motivational factors and support systems influencing Agripreneurial engagement among agricultural students in Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada agricultural university

Introduction

Agripreneurship is increasingly recognized as a key driver of agricultural transformation by promoting innovation, employment generation, value addition, and sustainable rural development (FAO, 2017; World Bank, 2019). It offers agricultural graduates an opportunity to create selfemployment, improve farm profitability, and contribute to economic growth. Consequently, promoting agripreneurship among agricultural students has become a priority for educational institutions and policymakers (Nabi et al., 2017) [6] . The decision of agricultural students to pursue entrepreneurship is influenced by various motivational factors, such as the desire for independence, financial gain, social recognition, and personal growth. At the same time, the availability of an enabling support system, including entrepreneurial education, institutional credit, family support, and favourable government policies, plays a crucial role in translating entrepreneurial aspirations into successful enterprises (Shane, 2003; OECD, 2019) [9,7] . Despite increasing emphasis on agripreneurship promotion, limited research has examined both the motivational factors influencing agricultural students and the support systems they require for entrepreneurial engagement. Therefore, the present study was undertaken among undergraduate agricultural students of Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Gujarat, to identify the motivational factors encouraging them to establish agricultural enterprises and to examine the support systems needed to promote their engagement in agripreneurship. The findings are expected to provide useful insights for strengthening entrepreneurship education and developing policies that encourage agripreneurship among agricultural graduates. Objectives 1. To study the motivational factors of agricultural students to start agricultural enterprises 2. To examine the kind of support system needed for engaging agricultural students in Agripreneurship www.extensionjournal.com

Methodology

The present study was conducted at Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU), Gujarat, to identify the motivational factors influencing agricultural students to start agricultural enterprises and to examine the support systems required for promoting their engagement in agripreneurship. An ex-post facto research design was adopted, as the study aimed to investigate the existing perceptions of the respondents without manipulating any variables.

The study population comprised undergraduate agricultural students enrolled at SDAU. A total of 176 undergraduate students were selected through purposive sampling, considering their exposure to agricultural education and potential involvement in agripreneurship. Data were collected using a pre-tested and structured interview schedule developed based on an extensive review of literature and expert consultation. To assess the motivational factors, respondents were asked to indicate the factors that motivated them to establish agricultural enterprises from a list of identified motivational factors. The responses were recorded and analysed using frequency and percentage.

To identify the support systems required for promoting agripreneurship, respondents were asked to rank seven identified support systems according to their perceived importance. The collected ranking data were analysed and determined using Kendall's Coefficient of Concordance (W). The collected data were coded, tabulated, and analysed using appropriate statistical tools, including frequency, percentage, mean rank, and Kendall's coefficient of concordance, to draw meaningful conclusions.

Results and Discussion

Motivational factors of the agricultural students [5] , who observed that entrepreneurial intentions are strongly associated with autonomy and achievement motivation. 2 indicate that entrepreneurial education was found to be the most important support system and ranked first. This finding agrees with Fayolle and Gailly (2015) [2] and Nabi et al. (2017) [6] , who reported that entrepreneurship education significantly enhances entrepreneurial intentions and competencies among university students. Support from family and friends ranked second, followed by credit support from financial institutions, government policies and schemes, entrepreneurship clubs and guidance centres, awareness and training programmes, and basic infrastructure facilities. The probable reason behind this prioritization is the growing recognition of the significance of entrepreneurial education among students with the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to pursue a successful career in agripreneurship. By incorporating entrepreneurial education, students can gain a deeper understanding of the details involved in starting and managing an agricultural entrepreneurship. Additionally, the financial and moral support provided by family and friends can serve as a www.extensionjournal.com catalyst, inspiring and motivating students to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations and nurturing their entrepreneurial spirit.

Kind of support system needed for getting students engaged in agricultural Entrepreneurship

Conclusion

The present study concludes that agricultural students of Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University possess a positive inclination towards agripreneurship, with the desire for independence emerging as the strongest motivational factor, followed by the aspiration to enhance social status, achieve financial gain, and contribute to employment generation. The findings also indicate that an enabling support system plays a crucial role in encouraging students to pursue entrepreneurial careers. Entrepreneurial education was identified as the most important support requirement, followed by support from family and friends and access to institutional credit. The significant Kendall's coefficient of concordance indicates a strong level of agreement among respondents regarding the priority of these support systems. Therefore, strengthening entrepreneurship education, improving financial and institutional support, and creating a conducive entrepreneurial ecosystem can significantly enhance agripreneurial engagement among agricultural students. Such efforts will not only promote selfemployment among agricultural graduates but also contribute to agricultural innovation, rural development, and sustainable economic growth. These findings are consistent with the recommendations of FAO (2017) and the World Bank (2019), which emphasize strengthening entrepreneurial capacity among youth to achieve sustainable agricultural development.

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