Abstract

A refocus on agriculture is considered a pertinent resort for the youths because it is generally believed to be a panacea for sustainable development in any nation. To help generate suitable policies to encourage youth farmers to be involved in agricultural activities, the study analysed factors that influence youth farmers’ participation in agricultural activities in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Through a list of farmers obtained with the assistance of Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Development Programme, 120 youth farmers were randomly selected for the study using simple random sampling technique. The study used descriptive and inferential tools to analyse information collected. The majority (59.2%) of youth farmers were male and 42.5% were between the ages of 36-39 years. Only 8.3% had access to credit. About 71% of the youth farmers were involved in on-farm activities and only 29.2% in both on- and off-farm activities. The major determinants of youth agricultural activities were household size and membership of social organizations. The state government and other relevant agencies and organizations should create platforms to educate youth farmers on the need for more involvement and diversification in their agricultural livelihood strategies.

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