Determinants of Rural Youth Perception towards Agricultural Participation: Evidence from Kannur district, Keralam

Abstract

The study was conducted during the years 2025-2026 in Payyannur Block of Kannur district, Keralam to understand the perceptions of the youths about their participation in agriculture. A total of 120 youths from rural areas were selected randomly following a multi-stage random sampling procedure. The primary data were collected by using a pre-tested structured interview schedule. Path analysis was used to estimate the direct effects of socio-personal, socio-economic, communication and psychological variables on the participation of the youths in agriculture. It was found that the model developed accounted for 83.90 per cent of variation in participation. Out of the selected variables, education, occupation, land holding, mass media exposure, economic motivation, extension contact and religion had significant positive direct effects on the participation. Education was found as the most important variable influencing participation. However, the variables like caste, marital status, family size, family type, annual income, social participation, risk orientation did not have any significant direct effects. From these results, it can inferred that enhancing access to education, the spread of agricultural information, extension services, and economic incentives can lead to positive attitudes and higher involvement of young people in rural agriculture.