Title:
ASSESSING THE DETERMINANTS OF GRADUATES' WILLINGNESS TO PURSUE SELF-EMPLOYMENT IN AGRIBUSINESS; A CASE STUDY OF THE SOKOINE UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE FINALISTS

Authors:
Jamal Jumanne Athuman

Abstract:
In order to achieve the goal of modernizing agriculture in Tanzania, it is crucial to tap into the potential of highly skilled young individuals, particularly graduates from agricultural faculties. This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing the intention of agricultural students at the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) to engage in agribusiness for their future self-employment. Data was collected through a field survey of 292 final year students. Descriptive analysis and Chi-square statistics were employed to analyze the data. The results revealed a statistically significant influence of students' perceptions regarding the prospects of agribusiness enterprises in Tanzania on their intention to pursue self-employment in agribusiness in the future, with significance levels of 1% and 5%. Additionally, factors such as age, marital status, place of residence, parental educational background, practical agricultural experience, and risk tolerance were found to significantly influence students' intention to engage in agribusiness for future self-employment. Based on the findings, it is recommended that students in tertiary education and related programs should be provided with practical agricultural training and be adequately informed about the potential of agriculture as a pathway to self-employment after graduation.

Keywords:
Agribusiness, self-employment, enterprise, and youth workforce.

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37500/IJESSR.2023.6409