Nexus between Participation in Agriculture and Youth Welfare in Bomet County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2193Abstract
Kenya’s youth unemployment rate stands at 39 percent, forming the largest group of the unemployed in the country. The cohort possesses innovative behavior, minimal risk aversion, less fear of failure, less conservativeness, greater physical strength and greater knowledge acquisition propensity. The agriculture sector offers a huge opportunity for the creation of employment for the youth in the country. Despite the vital role the agricultural sector plays in the economy of Kenya, youth are yet to fully exploit its potential. Like in other countries, literature posits that youth participation in agriculture is low and major determinants of participation in agriculture are; education level, access to land, access to finance, household size and access to market. Youth perceive agriculture as a career of last resort that has low monetary benefits. The study sought to establish participation in agriculture and its effects on the welfare of the youth in Bomet County. A sample of 399 youths were picked as a representative sample. The study employed frequencies and percentages in analyzing the descriptive statistics of the study. Logistic regression was adopted in estimating the model. The study undertook various diagnostic tests before estimating the models to ensure that the model is fit in determining the relationship of study variables. The predicted probabilities for youth to participate in agricultural activities was 32.0 percent. The results from the study also showed that participating in agriculture improved welfare majorly through increased income and food. Model results established that marital status, university education, land size, financial access, access to ICT infrastructure, market distance, household size and agricultural training significantly influenced welfare of youth practicing agriculture. The study recommends that the government creates financial credit specifically tailored for majority of the youth who do not have the required collateral. There is also a need for the government to build more agricultural training institutes so that youth can learn diverse agricultural productions.
Keywords: Youth Welfare, Participation in Agriculture and Bomet County
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