Entrepreneurial Expectations and Preferences of Agricultural Technical School Students

Abstract

The agricultural university imparts education in agriculture through a diploma program offered after matriculation under the Faculty of Lower Agriculture Education. This program acts as a crucial stepping stone for students from both rural and urban backgrounds who are eager to learn the fundamentals of agriculture and develop agri-perineurial skills. The aim of the paper is to assess the entrepreneurship support expectations of Agricultural Technical School students. The present investigation, entitled "Entrepreneurial expectations and preferences of Agricultural Technical School Students", was undertaken in the Akola and Buldhana districts of Maharashtra with an exploratory research framework. A purposive sample of 120 students from four Agricultural Technical Schools was selected. Primary information was methodically gathered through in-person interviews employing a standardised questionnaire, then systematically classified, tabulated, and analysed. The findings revealed that a substantial proportion of respondents (66.66%) were male, with 41.66% per cent belonging to the Other Backwards Class category. A majority (64.16%) hailed from families with moderate educational backgrounds, while 36.66 per cent had parents whose principal occupation was agricultural labour. Around 35 per cent came from households possessing minimal land (up to 1 hectare), and 54.16 per cent were classified within the moderate-income category, i.e. Rs.. 180,001/- to Rs.. 360,000/- only. Notably, 92.50 per cent originated from a rural background, and 40.83 per cent secured first-class academic results. A majority (64.16%) of students did not participate in social activities. The findings revealed that the majority (67.50 %) of ATS students were found in the medium category of entrepreneurial decision making. Regarding entrepreneurial expectations of ATS students, 83.33 per cent of them need financial assistance from a financial institution, the majority (83.33%) of the students need technical guidance from teachers, followed by mentors/guides (81.67%), and 91.67 per cent of the students want institutional support through capacity building, followed by counselling (90.00%). They have shown a strong interest in value-added agriculture products, dairy farming, poultry farming, fruits and vegetable farming, nursery management, and goat farming have moderate interest levels and seed production, organic agriculture, and agricultural clinics have relatively low interest levels of the ATS students. The entrepreneurial decision-making abilities of students were generally promising. In terms of entrepreneurial preferences, students showed the greatest interest in value-added agricultural products, dairy farming, and poultry farming. This indicates a shift towards enterprises with higher profitability and market demand.