Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Its Determinants among Poultry Farmers in Namakkal District, India

Abstract

Agriculture is a mainstay of the Indian economy, and poultry farming has become one of its most dynamic livestock enterprises, contributing to rural income generation, livelihood security and the reduction of malnutrition among rural households. Requiring relatively modest capital investment while yielding quick and attractive returns, this enterprise has expanded rapidly in recent years. As entrepreneurship is increasingly recognised as a driver of economic progress, greater importance is being attached to nurturing entrepreneurial capacities among farm-level producers. Against this backdrop, a systematic study of the entrepreneurial profile of poultry growers in Namakkal district was undertaken. The specific objectives were to examine the profile characteristics of poultry farmers, assess their level of entrepreneurial behaviour, determine the association between profile characteristics and entrepreneurial behaviour, and identify the constraints encountered in poultry production. The investigation was conducted in Namakkal district, popularly termed the “Poultry Town” or “Egg City” because of its dense concentration of poultry units and large-scale egg production. The results showed that a majority (63.33 per cent) of respondents exhibited a medium level of entrepreneurial behaviour. Educational status and participation in training programmes had highly significant associations with entrepreneurial behaviour, whereas age, farm size, farming experience, extension agency contact and attitude towards poultry farming had significant associations. Regression analysis revealed that the selected independent variables together accounted for a considerable proportion of the variation in entrepreneurial behaviour. Labour shortages, the high cost of day-old chicks, elevated transport expenses and other production-related, economic, infrastructural and marketing difficulties emerged as the principal constraints faced by the farmers. The findings may guide the formulation of strategies for developing farm entrepreneurship and assist planners, policymakers, researchers and extension specialists in strengthening entrepreneurial behaviour and technology transfer among poultry farmers.