This is a master dissertation
The research was done to assess the role of institutions in enhancing youth’s involvement in agriculture among 120 youth in Mzumbe Ward in Mvomero District. The specific objectives were: Youths’ assessment of agriculture as income generating activity, determining the extent of youth involvement in agriculture, examining factors influencing youth’s involvement in agriculture and analyzing the association between institutions and youth’s willingness to engage in agriculture. Qualitative data in four villages were collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), while quantitative data were collected through questionnaire survey. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for quantitative data analysis and content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Overall, the results showed that institutions, when considered in their entirety, had positive influence in enhancing youth involvement in agriculture. The institutions which proved to have favourable influence include traditional land tenure system, market system, extension system, credit system, traditional beliefs and norms. Taxes and land policies showed unfavourable influence to youth’s involvement in agriculture. The results also show that youth were involved in agriculture in satisfactory extent and had positive opinions towards agriculture. It is concluded that most of institutions had favourable influence in enhancing youth’s involvement in agriculture though taxes and land policies on the other hand had unfavourable influence towards youth’s involvement in agriculture. Therefore, the study recommends that government should put more emphasis to support formal institutions such as taxes and land policies and other institutions dealing with agriculture on promoting youth’s involvement in agriculture in the study area and the country at large. The government in collaboration with NGOs should create conducive market environment that would enable farmers benefit more from their engagement in agriculture through provision of soft loans, agricultural extension services and input supplies, market linkages to youth and acquisition of land for agricultural activities.