CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets Workshop on Rural Transformation in the 21st Century (Vancouver, BC – 28 July 2018, 30th International Conference of Agricultural Economists). Presentation by Prakashan Chellattan Veettil, Bidhan K. Mohapatra, Prabhakaran T. Reghu (International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), India) and Samarendu Mohanty (International Potato Centre (CIP), Vietnam)

1. Involvement and career preferences of rural
male and female youth in India
Prakashan ChellattanVeettil
Agricultural Economist, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)
E-mail: pc.veettil@irri.org
Authors: Prakashan C.Veettil, Bidhan Mohapatra, Prabhakaran Reghu & Samarendu Mohanty
PIM Workshop at ICAAE 2018
28th July 2018

2. The Context
 Fast transition economies : sectoral
transformation – pushing out from agriculture
 The aging and youth abandoning agriculture
 Implications of youth not being part of
agricultural and rural development
• Political, economic, social and demographic effects
• Future trajectories of the agri-food sector in the
developing world depend on the involvement of
youth
 Attract and retain youth - Agriculture profession
intellectually stimulating and economically
rewarding

3. The Indian
Context
 Largest youth population involved in agri.
 > 40% of farmers - wanted to quit farming
(NSSO, 2005)
 Youth policy dynamic engagement with youth
• Agricultural research – youth centric : build rural
youth capacity for a viable economic enterprise
• Developing businesses and lucrative
employments in agricultural sector
• Introduce modern tools and processes (e.g. digital
agriculture)

4. Some
questions??
1. Are (male and female) youths involved in
agriculture and value chain activities, and if so
what level?
2. What are young persons’ perceptions of
agriculture as a possible career?
 Do male youth preferences differ from female youths?
3. How can (male and female) youth be attracted
to agriculture?
4. How can changes be made in the way farming
is conducted?

5. Sampling
 Conducted in 2015 in three major rice-growing states of
eastern India
 Five districts were chosen in each state based on three criteria:
(1) rice production intensity, (2) agro-ecological zone and (3)
irrigation status
 In each district, the top two rice-growing blocks were chosen.
In each block, five villages were selected randomly (# 15
districts, #30 blocks, #150 villages)
 Census in all 150 villages, enlisting youths (15 to 29 years old)
in rice farming HH
 From this list, around 10 males and 7 females were selected
randomly (#1316 male and #922 female youth)

6. Youth sample
Variables Male (n=1316) Female (n=922) Pooled (n=2238)
Age in years (%)
15 to 20 38.9 39.5 39.1
21 to 25 28.6 29.3 28.9
26 to 29 32.5 31.2 31.9
Marital status (% of married) 32.8 64.6*** 45.9
Education (levels completed) (%)
Non-literate 6.8 20.2*** 12.3
Primary schooling (classes 1 to 4) 5.9 6.5 6.1
Sec. schooling (classes 5 to 10) 53.6 48.7** 51.6
Hr. Sec. schooling (classes 11 to 12) 21.0 16.1*** 18.9
Graduate & above 12.8 8.6*** 11.0

7. Youth sample
Variables Male (n=1316) Female (n=922) Pooled (n=2238)
Primary occupation
Farming 27.9 5.9*** 18.9
Labour 20.3 1.6*** 12.6
Salaried 5.5 0.7*** 3.5
Self-employed 11.8 0.5*** 7.2
Student 31.2 23.9*** 26.9
Homemaker 0.0 65.3na 28.2
Other 3.3 2.1* 2.8
Migration status (migrated1) 22.3 1.9*** 13.9

8. Involvement and willingness to choose agri. as career21.2
83.5
22.4
77.6
28.6
59.8
24.5
72.3
3.7
68.9
3.4
50.9
16.2
66.9
7.2
61.9
12.3
76.1
14.9
67
24.3
62.3
17.3
68.0
Involved Willingness Involved Willingness Involved Willingness Involved Willingness
Bihar Odisha West Bengal Total
Male Female Pooled

9. Rice value chain and allied activities as a career
6.5
26.9
2.1
8.1
3.3
37.4
8.9
49.5
2.0
15.2
1.6
4.2
0.3
15.1
2.5
21.6
4.6
22.1
1.9
6.5
2.1
28.2
6.3
38.0
Involved Willingness Involved Willingness Involved Willingness Involved Willingness
Paddy Value Chain Seed Value Chain Agri Inputs & Services Total
Male Female Pooled

10. Variables
Bivariate probit - Marginal effects
RP & RVC RP only RVC only No involvement
Youth characteristics
Gender (dummy: Male -1) 0.012*** (0.003) 0.100*** (0.021) 0.030*** (0.009) -0.143*** (0.023)
Age (dummy): 21 to 25 yrs 0.003 (0.003) 0.023 (0.022) 0.009 (0.010) -0.035 (0.024)
Age (dummy): 26 to 29 yrs 0.010** (0.004) 0.102*** (0.028) 0.013 (0.011) -0.125*** (0.030)
Education (years completed) 0.000 (0.001) -0.004 (0.008) 0.003 (0.003) 0.001 (0.009)
Primary occupation (dummy)
Farming 0.005 (0.005) 0.056* (0.031) 0.006 (0.015) -0.067* (0.035)
Salaried 0.000 (0.003) -0.075*** (0.019) 0.047 (0.037) 0.029 (0.042)
Student -0.004* (0.002) -0.106*** (0.020) 0.012 (0.016) 0.098*** (0.027)
Factors affecting youth involvement across rice production and
value chain activities (𝑛 = 2,238)

11. Variables
Bivariate probit - Marginal effects
RP & RVC RP only RVC only No involvement
Household head characteristics
Gender (male – 1) -0.006 (0.005) -0.035 (0.031) -0.013 (0.016) 0.054 (0.036)
Age (years) 0.000 (0.000) -0.004*** (0.001) 0.000 (0.000) 0.003*** (0.001)
Primary occupation (dummy) : Farming 0.002 (0.003) 0.045* (0.024) -0.002 (0.013) -0.045*(0.028)
Household and social attributes
Caste: OBC 0.005* (0.002) 0.039* (0.020) 0.010 (0.008) -0.054** (0.022)
Caste: SC 0.005* (0.003) 0.047** (0.022) 0.010 (0.010) -0.063*** (0.024)
Caste: ST 0.001 (0.003) 0.054* (0.029) -0.006 (0.011) -0.049 (0.031)
# adults involved in farming -0.001 (0.001) -0.024** (0.012) 0.003 (0.004) 0.022* (0.013)
Share of food expenditure (%) 0.000*** (0.000) -0.001** (0.000) 0.000*** (0.000) 0.001*** (0.000)
Primary income source: Farming 0.006** (0.003) 0.010 (0.021) 0.027** (0.011) -0.044* (0.024)

12. ATE of youth current involvement on career choice
Youth involvement Responses
Preferred career choice
Agriculture Salaried Business Not decided
Rice farming
Male
0.089***
(0.026)
-0.163***
(0.022)
0.076***
(0.028)
0.008
(0.044)
Female
0.041*
(0.021)
-0.062***
(0.015)
0.029
(0.027)
0.017
(0.020)
Pooled
0.081***
(0.018)
-0.114***
(0.015)
0.091***
(0.021)
-0.046**
(0.020)
Rice value chain
Male
0.054***
(0.018)
0.015
(0.017)
-0.065***
(0.014)
-0.025**
(0.025)
Female
0.021
(0.014)
-0.018**
(0.009)
-0.003
(0.014)
0.004
(0.012)
Pooled
0.045***
(0.012)
0.004
(0.011)
-0.034***
(0.010)
-0.028**
(0.012)

13. Support required for youth
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Credit
Irrigation
Innovative technology
Input service
Farm mechanisation
Technical training
Agriculture as profession
Female Male
0 25 50 75
Credit
Business training
Subsidy on investment
Market intelligence
Govt procurement
Paddy value chain
Female (n=217) Male (n=515)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Credit linkage
Seed production Training
Subsidy on investment
Linkage with Govt scheme
Market intelligence
Seed value chain
Female (n=51) Male (n=156)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Credit linkage
Subsidy on investment
Business training
Technical training
Agri. Service provision
Female (n=206) Male (n=662)

14. Conclusion
 Low level of youth involvement vis-à-vis their willingness.
 Female involvement in agriculture and value chain activities
are very low.
 Youths are interested in agriculture, if it transformed to more
entrepreneurial and service oriented sector
 The paddy value chain and agri-services are the emerging
two opportunities
 Policy support and facilitation essential for such
transformation:
 Credit linkage,Technical/business training, Investment
support and market intelligence
 Policy support is gender sensitive

15. Thank you