Question

Define/explain “agripreneurship” and it is central to the economies of developing countries. Give an example.

Answer 1

Let us first try to understand the Agripreneurship and who are Agripreneurs.

Agripreneurship can be defined as generally sustainable, community oriented, directly marketed agriculture. Sustainable agriculture implies a systems oriented approach to farming that focuses on the interrelationships of social, economic and environmental process, so in order to follow a holistic approach toward agriculture as a long term sustainable business, Agripreneurship becomes important. Agripreneur as defined by  Dabson and Markley is “an entrepreneur whose main business is agriculture or agriculture-related”.

In any devloping nation, even today agriculture accounts for more than 50% of the totsal employment. In today's times, the viability of small and marginal scale farming is dampening due to the rising cost of cultivation, declining market returns and degradation of natural resources, this calls for an entrepreneurship development in agriculture as policy and development initiative. Though the farmers have excelled in technology adoption and in improving the farm productivity level, they have not been successful in commensurate enhancement of their profitability. Their share of income is very low, the farmers feel that farming is no more an attractive profession. Considering the importance of agriculture in economic upliftment of poor, it is essential for a developing nation to devise and operationalize mechanism for enhancing profitability of farm through market linkage and entrepreneurship development and this calls for infusing entrepreneurial culture in farming. For enhancing the profit, the farmers need to establish linkages with different stakeholders at different stages of production chain. Such transition in practice would first require shift in attitudinal orientation from being a farmer to an agricultural entrepreneur, farm entrepreneur or agripreneur.

Now lets take an example of in a developing nation:

Agripreneurs in India, a developing country. Various agripreneurs in the country have proven that agriculture can be viable by integrating various agricultural enterprises (crops with animal husbandry, horticulture, forestry, beekeeping, etc.) including post harvest processing, value addition and marketing. Agripreneurs have helped the economy of India in various ways:

(a) Trim down the burden of agriculture

(b) Created employment opportunities for rural youth

(c) Helped Control migration from rural to urban areas

(d) Increase in national income

(e) Sustain industrial development in rural areas

(f) Cut down the pressure on urban cities

With better industrial and entrepreneurial education discipline, entrepreneurs in agriculture have naturally taken advantage of the vast human resource availability. It made clear through the small example of it in India that there is a great scope for entrepreneurship in agriculture and this potentiality can be tapped only by effective management of agri elements an individual with risk bearing capacity and a quest for latest knowledge in agriculture sector can prove to be a right agripreneurs. The agriculture sector in any developing nation has a large potential to contribute to the national income while at the same time providing direct employment and income to the numerically larger and vulnerable section of the society. Agripreneurship is not only an opportunity but also a necessity for improving the production and profitability in agriculture sector for a developing nation.