Food Security and University Agricultural Students Involvement in Food Production after Graduation
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Date
2014
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Publisher
Department of Forestry Wildlife and Range Management. University of Agriculture Makurdi
Abstract
Food security and its relationship to sustainable agricultural and rural development have increasingly become matters of concern for developing countries and for the international community. While many complex factors influence sustainable development and food security, it is clear that education in agriculture plays an important role. Hence, this study examined the factors that determine the involvement of final-year agriculture students in agricultural production after graduation. Two hundred respondents were randomly selected and were analysed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test. The results revealed that 21.6% of the respondents had good knowledge about food security, 54.6% had average knowledge, 13.4% had doubtful knowledge about food security and 10.3% had poor knowledge about food security. 50.1% believed that Nigeria is not food secure. 68.04% of the respondents plan to be gainfully self-employed in agriculture after graduation. This finding has implications for reducing the high rate of unemployment and the continual rise in food insecurity. Therefore, it is recommended that agricultural development planners provide start-off funds, input subsidies and land for fresh graduates to start their farms. It was also revealed that capital, interest, knowledge, Government policy on import and academic pursuit were the major factors that altered the involvement of potential agricultural graduates in agricultural production.
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Keywords
Agriculture, Food Security, Production, Student, University
Citation
Fadipe, A.E.A., Amolegbe, K.B. & Afun, O.O. (2014): Food Security and University Agricultural Students Involvement in Food Production after Graduation. Journal of Research in Forestry, Wildlife and Environmental. 6(1): 2141 – 1778. Published by Department of Forestry Wildlife and Range Management. University of Agriculture Makurdi. Available online at http://www.ajol.info/index.php/jrfwe/article/view/104141/94239