PARTICIPATION OF POSTGRADUATE AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS IN AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY: EVIDENCE FROM FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA.

Abstract

The participation of agricultural students in agribusiness activities is essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2. This research was carried out in 2023 to examine the participation of postgraduate agricultural students in agricultural enterprises and its implication for food security in FUNAAB, Ogun State, Nigeria. The researchers used a multistage sampling procedure to identify 291 out of 359 registered postgraduate students. A validated and structured questionnaire was used to collect the data for this study. Frequency, percentages, and mean scores (descriptive statistics) and such tools as Chi-square, Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), and multiple linear regression analysis were used. Results indicated that 55.7% of the respondents were males and the average age of the respondents was 32 years. Respondents cultivated an average farm size of 0.84 hectares and earned a mean monthly income of ₦78, 200 ($57.48USD). The most common source of motivation to get engaged in agricultural enterprises was through social media platforms (62.9%). The most prominent of agricultural enterprises involved by the respondents were teaching and research (x̄=2.08), crop production (x̄=2.03) and livestock production (x̄=1.97). The most important challenges to participation in agricultural enterprises were inadequate funding (x̄ = 2.39) and climate-related risks (x̄ = 2.36). Chi Square analysis showed that no significant association (p>0.05) existed between participation of the respondents in agricultural enterprises and sex (χ=1.443. p=0.486), marital status (χ=7.931. p=0.094) and religion (χ=5.963, p=0.071). In addition, a significant relationship (p< 0.01) and challenges encountered (β = 0.782, t = 2.149, p < 0.05) had the most significant effect on participation in agricultural enterprises among the respondents. The study recommended that increased access to financial assistance and specialized training programmes that concentrate on small-capital agricultural businesses can greatly increase the participation while utilisation of adaptation strategies could help to reduce the effects of climate related risks