Creating the enabling environment for youth participation in agriculture activities in Tanzania: A case study of Kilombero district

Abstract

The study examined the enabling environment for youth participation in agriculture activities in Tanzania with a case study of Kilombero District. The specific objectives of were; identify enabling environment available for youth engagement in agriculture activities; and identify challenges discouraging youth engagement in agriculture activities in the study area. A multi stage sampling was used to collect  data from 378 youth engaging in agriculture by using questionnaire while interview guide was used to 20 key informants. The collected  data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools including frequency, percentages, mean and charts and interpreted with a view to  understand the phenomenon under investigation. The findings indicated the presence of abundant enabling environments to motivate   youth engagement in agriculture activities, such as water bodies (93.7%), access to agriculture information (74.9%), agricultural resources  (70%), supporting climatic condition (53.2%), access to agriculture inputs (52.4%), and policies, strategies and programs integrate youth (52%). Also the findings showed that youth farmers were faced with several challenges such as resource constraints  (93%), perception constraints (77%), agricultural infrastructure (70%), capacity and skills constraints (64.3%), and access to agriculture  information (57.4%). Based on the findings, the study recommends that linking youth issues to agriculture policies, strategies and programs will increase youth engagement in agriculture activities. Also, mechanisms should be established to ensure youth access  agriculture credits free from collaterals, arable land and subsidized farm inputs.