MSc.

Entrepreneurial behavior of agripreneurs of KAU technology
Kerala Agricultural University has been transferring agricultural
technology to the benefit of farming community right from its inception. Several
recommended agricultural technologies were utilized by the stakeholders for
enhancing their income for their livelihood. Recently,
promotion of
agripreneurship has been realized as inevitable for the revitalization of agriculture
sector. Kerala Agricultural University has also taken earnest and concerted effort
to consolidate, showcase and disseminate the various technology generated suitable
for entrepreneurship and skill development. Apart from showcasing the technology
in various fairs, seminars, trainings and workshops, KAU Technology Meet-2014
was organised to transfer the technology to the ultimate users. It was felt as
appropriate to study the entrepreneurial behavior of agripreneurs of KAU
technology with the objectives of assessing the status of the agripreneurs in terms
of their entrepreneurial behaviour, factors influencing their entrepreneurial skill
and constraints faced by them in utilising the technology.
A total sample size of 100 respondents were selected using simple random
sampling technique from the list of trainees who participated in the trainings
conducted by the extension centres of Kerala Agricultural University such as
Communication Centre, Central Training Institute and Krishi Vigyan Kendra,
Thrissur.
The results showed that majority of the respondents were under middle age
group of 36 - 55 years. It was observed that 36 per cent of the respondents had an
education up to high school level. Majority of the respondents had medium level
of mass media contact (76%), social participation (73%), attitude towards self-
employment and economic motivation.
Among the 10 dimensions of the entrepreneurial behavior, decision making
ability, coordinating ability, management orientation and market perception were
high, whereas self-confidence, information seeking behavior, innovativeness, risk
orientation, leadership ability and achievement motivation were medium among
the agripreneurs. Further it was also observed that among the listed 10 dimensions

the composite index for market perception was ranked the highest (83.12). This
indicated that the agripreneurs gave much importance to the current market trend,
marketing channel, market information and continuous supply of raw materials for
the particular enterprise. The overall entrepreneurial behavior of the respondents
was found to be medium.
Study on factors affecting entrepreneurial behavior of agripreneurs showed
that social participation, mass media contact, attitude towards self-employment and
education had significant positive relationship with entrepreneurial behavior of
agripreneurs.
Securing working capital (62.00%) was the serious constraint faced by
agripreneurs under financial constraints. Lack of market information (41.00%) was
the serious constraint under marketing category, whereas non-availability of input
materials (67.00%) and high labour cost (60.00%) were the serious constraints
under production category and dual duties (45.00%) was the serious constraint
experienced by the agripreneurs under personal constraints.
Apart from imparting technical skills, extension programmes of Kerala
Agricultural University may also include the subject areas like linkage with
financial institutions, methods of tapping market information through Information
Communication Technology (ICT) tools, introduction of mechanization, soft skills
on managing dual duties, sharing responsibilities with fellow members etc. The
activities of Technology Incubation Centres are to be strengthened as continuous
support system to facilitate the agripreneurs for meeting the challenges they face
during the process of doing the agribusiness. Periodic review of the performance
of agribusiness by the Technology Incubation Centres may create a platform for
solving most of the constraints faced by the agripreneurs. Networking of
agripreneurs who are involved in similar kind of agribusiness for the exchange of
available resources and inputs are to be promoted.