TY  - BOOK
AU  - Aleena Elias
AU  - Shamna, N (Guide)
TI  - Agripreneurship in commercial plant nurseries of Kerala - a multidimensional analysis
U1  - 630.71 
PY  - 2025///
CY  - Vellayani
PB  - Department of Agricultural Extension Education, College of Agriculture
KW  - Agricultural Extension Education
KW  - Commercial plant nurseries
KW  - Kerala
KW  - Agripreneurship
N1  - MSc
N2  - The study entitled “Agripreneurship in commercial plant nurseries of Kerala-A multidimensional analysis” was undertaken during 2023-24. The objectives of the research were assessing forward and backward linkages of commercial plant nurseries of Kerala; documenting the best marketing practices adopted by the nursery entrepreneurs; delineate the factors contributing success; and arrive at suggestion for policy recommendations to mitigate the problems faced by commercial plant nurseries of Kerala. The study was carried out across three districts viz. Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Wayanad were selected representing south, central and north Kerala respectively and the study involved a sample size of 90 plant nursery entrepreneurs and 30 stakeholders of the plant nurseries. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was utilized to examine the connections of plant nurseries with various stakeholders. Forward linkages primarily include retail customers, retail nurseries, and wholesale customers, while backward linkages consist of raw material providers, plant material providers, infrastructure providers, financial institutions, and logistics. Key stakeholders range from farmers to government agencies and financial institutions. This study found that 100% of entrepreneurs keep up with market trends and diversify plant offerings, ensuring visually appealing nurseries to attract customers. Positive factors for adoption of better marketing practices include competition orientation, self-reliance, and land holding, while social networking showed a negative influence on marketing practices. Success is largely influenced by social responsibility (0.22), followed by employment (0.19), customer satisfaction (0.17), financial strength (0.07), and lifestyle factors (0.07). The majority of respondents (51.1%) reported moderate to high success, with a smaller portion achieving low levels. Principal Component Analysis identified eight key success factors: influence and competence, social capital, financial acumen, motivation, community and assets, leadership, self-reliance, and creativity. Most nursery entrepreneurs are middle-aged (45-60 years, 52.22%), well-educated, and maintain medium to large family sizes. Land holdings vary, with 38.89% owning up to 33 cents, while a significant portion (75.56%) operates within 5 kilometers of a town. Market intelligence, credit orientation, and risk orientation levels among respondents indicate a balanced, experienced group. However, training participation is minimal, with 91.1% having received none. Findings revealed high levels of self-reliance (61.1%), managerial ability (75.9%), self confidence (77.8%), and social networking (78.9%) among respondents. While economic motivation and critical thinking levels are moderate, other abilities like leadership (64.4%), persuasive capability (70%), and innovation (54.4%) show strong presence, although mass media exposure remains low (63.3%). Garret ranking method was used to rank the constraints. Experiencing fluctuations in demand based on seasons (72.10) was perceived as the major constraint followed by the competition from other nurseries, home improvement stores and online retailers (71.88), extreme weather conditions (69.89) and difficulty in finding skilled labor (54.04). Addressing these constraints requires targeted policies such as providing disaster preparedness grants to commercial plant nurseries, establishing a centralized digital platform for all the plant nurseries of Kerala, envisaging training and capacity building programmes like skill development programs, technical skill enhancement programs, capacity building on modern marketing techniques such as digital marketing, promoting the development of climate-resilient plants and encourage the adoption of cultivation practices that can adapt to climate change and fostering collaborations with KAU and other public institutions for research & training.


UR  - https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810226455
ER  -