Youth agripreneurship in the horticultural value-chain: The case of small-scale mango farmers in Southern Ghana

Abstract

Development partners are promoting youth entrepreneurship in agriculture (agripreneurship) in sub-Saharan Africa. While youth engagement in food crop production and marketing has received a lot of attention on both policy and academic fronts, the low level of involvement of youth in the horticultural value-chain has received little attention. To this end, this study assessed the factors that influence participation of youth in the horticultural value-chain. Using the multistage sampling technique, data were collected from 224 mango-producing households in southern Ghana. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the binary logit model. The study found that there exist differences between the youth and older farmers in terms of socioeconomic factors including education, household size, and income, and institutional support services including certification, credit, extension services and group membership. The results of the econometric model revealed that age, education, and access to credit and extension services motivate youth participation in agriculture. Access to credit and ownership of motorized transport encouraged participation of older farmers in high value markets. The study recommends that development partners provide credit facilities and capacity development through agricultural training and extension services to enhance youth participation in high value markets.