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.

Financial inclusion and entrepreneurship willingness of youth: Evidence from Mali

“…This means that, providing and increasing youth access to loan services should increase their desire to undertake an agri‐entrepreneurial activity. This result agrees with the findings of Akrong et al (2021) and Sekyi et al (2020) who indicated that credit could facilitate youth participation in agriculture, particularly for high‐value markets.…”

“…But in the case of low take‐up of credit or savings, as was the case with the Youth Microfinance Project in Senegal, Nayar suggests providing financial education training to strengthen the scheme. Akrong et al (2021) and Sekyi et al (2020) consider that relaxing credit constraints through flexible financial conditions and facilitating specific training sessions by agricultural extension services are essential for youth participation in agriculture activities. They show that youth access to credit increases the probability of participation in high‐value markets in the Southern and Northern Savannah of Ghana, respectively.…”

Economic analysis of youth participation in agripreneurship in Benin

“…(2021) who found that when youth are empowered in terms of education and access to institutional support services such as financial credit and training, their propensity of participating in agriculture significantly reduces. This finding also confirms a priori expectations given that the agricultural sector of developing countries is largely unattractive to young people ( Akrong et al., 2020 ). However, in cases when young people participate in agriculture, agricultural trade was preferred to farming.…”

Africa as headwaiter at the dining table of global value chains: Do institutions matter for her participation?

“…At the firm level, Amendolagine et al (2019) found that local sourcing promotes intense GVC participation and upstream sector participation, and the effect is more in countries with good political institutions and better education. Policy and institutions, institutional services, social network, and service trade are also identified as important drivers of GVC participation in Africa (Abdul‐Rahaman & Abdulai, 2020; Anyanwu & Kponnou, 2017; Akrong et al, 2020; Okah Efogo, 2020; Vakataki‘Ofa & Karingi, 2014).…”