Factors influencing youth participation in agricultural co-operative societies in northern region, Burundi

Abstract

Youth participation in Agricultural Co-operative Societies (ACS) is crucial for both co-operative development and socio-economic progress. However, their involvement in ACS remains limited. This study assessed the factors influencing youth participation in agricultural co-operative societies within the northern region of Burundi. Specifically, the study assessed the level of awareness among youth regarding ACS in the study area, examined the cultivation related co-operative activities in which youth are involved, the study also established the costs and benefits associated with their participation in ACS and finally it examined the socio-economic factors influencing youth engagement in ACS. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, involving a sample of 332 respondents selected through purposive, simple random and systematic sampling. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires, interview guides and focus group discussion guides. Through IBM SPSS version 25 and Excel, descriptive statistical analysis was used for quantitative data while content analysis was employed for qualitative data. The study applied Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) analysis to evaluate the costs and benefits of youth participation in ACS while a binary logistic regression model was used to examine socio-economic factors influencing youth participation in ACS. Results indicated low awareness level among youth regarding ACS with an average mean index of 2.23 and aligning standard deviation of 1.35. Notably, crops like beans (42%), vegetables (15.6%), rice cultivation (13%) and maize (9.3%) were the most cultivation related co-operative activities in which youth are involved. The BCR indicated a positive return on investment in ACS (BCR=1.6), indicating a viable venture. Socio-economic factors such as access to market, access to credit, access to land, education level and profitability were statistically significant (p<0.05) and hence emerged as key predictors influencing youth engagement in ACS. Youth's limited membership in ACS is determined by lower level of awareness, negative perceptions and adherence to traditional co-operative models. Socio-economic factors have an impact on youth participation in ACS. It is recommended to the National Agency for Promotion and Regulation of co-operative Societies to increase awareness among youth through training forums and changing from traditional model to entrepreneurial model. The study also recommends the government establishing a Ministry of Co-operative and Small and Medium Enterprises, along with a co-operative university