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Inclination towards Agriculture among Rural Youth in Malaysia

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Farah Adila Abdullah at University of Malaysia Kelantan
Farah Adila Abdullah
Bahaman Abu Samah at Universiti Putra Malaysia
Bahaman Abu Samah
Jamilah Othman
Jamilah Othman
Jamilah Othman
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Abstract

Globally, agriculture has been admitted as one of the important sectors and the similar setting can be found in Malaysia. Government has never stopped in placing their effort to further improve this sector and it can be proven through the establishment of number of high impact agriculture projects. As the sector has well developed, nonetheless, the ageing agriculture community in Malaysia has raised concerns among the related parties and such issue has driven this paper to its main objective which is to explore the inclination of the younger generation particularly the youth towards involvement in agriculture. This paper is exploratory in nature where data were gained through literature and document analyses. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that most of the youth have a positive perception about agriculture but only few of them are involved directly in this field.
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J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res., 2(11)10892-10894, 2012
© 2012, TextRoad Publication
ISSN 2090-4304
Journal of Basic and Applied
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Corresponding Author: Farah Adila Abdullah, Institute for Social Science Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Putra Infoport, 43400
UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Telephone: 603-89471852 Fax: 603-89471856
Inclination towards Agriculture among Rural Youth in Malaysia
Farah Adila Abdullah, Bahaman Abu Samah and Jamilah Othman
Institute for Social Science Studies, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Putra Infoport, 43400 UPM Serdang,
Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
Globally, agriculture has been admitted as one of the important sectors and the similar setting can be found in Malaysia.
Government has never stopped in placing their effort to further improve this sector and it can be proven through the
establishment of number of high impact agriculture projects. As the sector has well developed, nonetheless, the ageing
agriculture community in Malaysia has raised concerns among the related parties and such issue has driven this paper to
its main objective which is to explore the inclination of the younger generation particularly the youth towards
involvement in agriculture. This paper is exploratory in nature where data were gained through literature and document
analyses. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that most of the youth have a positive perception about agriculture
but only few of them are involved directly in this field.
KEYWORDS: Inclination, rural youth, agriculture, agriculture development, youth development
1. INTRODUCTION
During the Eight Malaysian Plan, agriculture sector in Malaysia has recorded an encouraging growth. At this period,
the export of agriculture products has expanded throughout the world due to a better price of export volume on agriculture
industrial commodities. Furthermore, agriculture sector continuously provides raw materials demanded by domestic agro-
based industry and also to fulfill nation’s food demand. Meanwhile, agriculture also has become the third engine growth
which also leads to economic contribution during Ninth Malaysian Plan. The emphasis will be on new agriculture which
involve large scale commercial farming, wider application of modern technology, production of high quality and value-
added products, unlocking the potential in biotechnology, increased convergence with information and communications
technology (ICT), and the participation of entrepreneurial farmers and skilled workforce. To further strengthen the sector
in this modern age, agriculture sector does need back up from the younger generation particularly the youth. However,
they still have a negative perception towards agriculture as according to them this sector is a second class job and just a
temporary work while waiting for a better job (Gidarakou, 1999).
2. AGRICULTURE AND ITS BENEFITS FOR RURAL YOUTHS
According to Md. Salleh and HayrolAzril (2009) and Ezhar et al. (2007) the average age of farmers in Malaysia
exceeds 46 years old. Most of the farmers are 55 years and above and only 26% of farmers are included in the group age
of 18 to 40 years old. To date, 42% of Malaysian citizens are youth and the rate of unemployment among them is 4%
(Malaysia Institute for Youth Development Research Centre, 2010). Agriculture can act as the problem solver for the
unemployment issue. Nonetheless, albeit its ability to overcome such issues, it seems that youth are not preferring
agriculture and according to number of local studies it is due to their negative attitudes towards agriculture (Jeffrey et al.,
2010; Bahaman et al., 2010; Norsida, 2008). A study done by World Development Report (2007) proved that youths are
not interested to join agriculture because they thought that this field is not an attractive area to work. On the other hand,
Norsida (2007) found in her study that although Malaysian youth have a negative acceptance towards agriculture, they
still believed this sector can earn extra income accompanied by continuous efforts and hard work.
Meanwhile, the involvement of youths in agriculture is not only making a new career opportunity but also can
increase food supply. Hence, it may reduce the gap of food production and its demand in the community (National
Directorate of Employment, 2003). Since unemployment has been one of the controversial issues in developing countries,
the rural youths tend to migrate from their village to cities. In Nigeria, most of the young people are not used their full
potentials which is same happened in Malaysia. Thus, the agricultural sector might provide them a platform to reduce the
unemployment rate.
In addition, involvement of youths in agriculture also may overcome poverty. This sector also can be the main source
in assisting the government to provide employment opportunities among youth in Malaysia. Based on the previous
research, it has been found there are a lot of benefits by involving this sector. People may actively joined farmers’
community or associations and also have different economic activities which would get better income besides having a
desire to develop their own community (Sarah et al., 2010).
10892
Abdullah et al., 2012
Most of the part in the world, agriculture activities and rural people cannot be separated because this activity can
increase their income and provide bigger employment opportunities (Omelehin et al., 2007; Uddin and Takeya, 2006).
Furthermore, a study done by Lenihan et al. (2009) and Celliar (1999) rural community have better level of acceptance
and attitude towards agriculture activities because of the locations, economic base and land uses.
According to Sarah et al. (2010) among the considerable factors that impinge youth involvement in agriculture is
family traditions because they inherited it from their family, attractive financial returns due to the net income which is not
less than N10 000.00 per month, and of course for the subsistence for their family.
3. FINDINGS FROM PREVIOUS RESEARCH
Based on Table 1 below, only about 11.8% of employment involve in agriculture sector. Hence, this data proved that
Malaysia still need more people to get involved in agriculture as this field is the main contributor in nation food demands.
Table 1: Total of agriculture employment 2010 in Malaysia
2010
(i) Total Labor force (‘000)
(ii) Total Employment (‘000)
(iii) Unemployment rate (%)
(iv) Employment in agriculture (‘000)
12, 216.8
11, 773.3
3.6
1, 389.7
Source: Economic Planning Unit and Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia
Table 2: Distribution of Respondents Opinion on Youth Information on Agriculture
Source: Man (2008)
From the findings, it can be concluded that there are several positive and negative images towards agriculture. As
depicted in Table 2, among the push factors of youths toward agriculture are as follows: jobs that promise good profit if
run properly (92.2%), good sector and the potential for growth (81.6%), and jobs should be led by the youth for the future
development of agriculture sector (77.6%). On the other hand, the pull factors that discourage youths from being involved
in agriculture are as follows: many areas of the risks involved (33.1%), high-status jobs that are not glamorous and looked
down (20.8 %), and jobs that are not fun and tiring (16.3%).The above findings indicate that youths has a good view about
agriculture if it can be handled in the right way with a good desire. However, they still believed that agriculture is not a
profesional and attractive area to work and it is not an easy job to handle as it needs skills in handling the farm.
Findings by Man (2008), has informed us on two things. First, such local findings have opposed what have been identified
by most of international studies (Gidarakou, 1999 and Wanene, 2011), whose claimed that majority of rural have negative
perception towards agriculture. Most of the youth found have expressed their positive feelings towards agriculture as a
booster for their socio-economic level. Second, albeit youth in Malaysia have perceived agriculture positively,
nevertheless, problems such as high risks and unattractive have obstructed their maximum involvement in agriculture.
Table 2: Distribution of Respondents opinion on youth
information on agriculture Percentage (%)
Positive Image:
Jobs that promise good profit if run properly 92.2
Good sector and the potential for growth 81.6
Jobs should be led by the youth for the future development of
agriculture sector 77.6
Employment in agriculture is a noble job and be blessed and be
courteous to the land 76.5
Position of most agricultural areas outside the city does not prevent
those who want to go into agriculture 76.4
Areas that can be involved if given more disclosure about 75.4
Work that can give great satisfaction and experience 68.1
Negative Image:
Many areas of the risks involved 33.1
High-status jobs that are not glamorous and looked down 20.8
Jobs that are not fun and tiring 16.3
Slow return of profits from agriculture and low-income 16.1
Work of the last option 13.7
Work fit for those who livein villages and ravaged only 10.3
Field work that has not been encouraged by family and friends to
venture 10.3
Will be missed and you feel left out if only that were involved in
agriculture compared with other partners 9.1
Areas that are not professional and not suitable for high approval
obtained 8.5
Jobs that do not promise a good return 7.8
A job that had inherited the tradition of the family 7.4
J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res., 2(11)10892-10895, 2012
4. CONCLUSION
Currently, Malaysian government has introduced many High Impact Agriculture Program (HIP) such as Agropolitan
Project, Zone Industry Aquaculture (ZIA) and Sustainable Food Production Park (TKPM). These programs aim to
increase farmers’ income, reduce poverty problems, and provide employment opportunities and increase their quality of
life (Hayrol et al., 2010). In developing countries such as Malaysia, there must be more emphasis on agriculture to ensure
the unemployment problem is decreasing (Hayrol et al., 2010; Jeffrey et al., 2009). Nowadays the majority of those
involved in agriculture constitutes of older generation. Hence, this sector need younger person to substitute the older
generation in order to enhance and strengthen the agricultural sector in Malaysia (Salleh et al., 2009; Ezhar et al., 2008).
Based on the reviews, some recommendations can be implementing to ensure the young generations are able to
involve in agriculture consistently. The recommendations would be encouraging the youths to be involved in any
agricultural associations to discover their interest in agriculture. Besides, credit facilities should be made available by both
government and non-governmental agencies to youths at lowest possible interest rate or else, Financial institutions should
render assistance to youth to improve their capital base and improve their economic empowerment. Hence, for those who
acquire skills may start their own agricultural activity. On the other hand, training should be provided by the responsible
agencies such as DOA (Department of Agriculture) for those youths who are interested in this field.
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Bahaman, A.S., D.S. Jeffrey , M.S. Hayrol Azril and U. Jegak, 2009. A Review of Contract Farming and Factors that
Impinge Youths Acceptance of Contract Farming. Eur. J. Soc. Sci., 11: 328-338.
Bahaman, A.S., D.S. Jeffrey, M.S. Hayrol Azril and U. Jegak, 2010. Acceptance and Sustainability of Contract Farming
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Article
  • Mar 2010
Problem statement: Agriculture sector in Malaysia has been intensified through the Eight and Ninth Malaysian Plan. In order to further develop this sector, contract farming activities such as leech rearing, worm rearing, herbs and mushroom have been introduced to the community. But do the communities especially the youth have a positive acceptance towards this activity? Approach: This was a quantitative study. The respondents were among two agriculture learning institutions in Malaysia. From a simple random sampling, a total of 194 respondents were selected. The data collection took two months to be completed. Results: From the multiple linear regression employed, it can be concluded that attitude, belief and knowledge are the significant contributor for acceptance towards contract farming. Conclusion/Recommendation: It is recommended that more studies can be conducted to inspect the complexities related with youths participation in contract farming and special attention should be highlighted to identify what universities can do in strategizing specific agricultural courses that would motivate youth to possess a better acceptance towards contract farming.
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A Review of Contract Farming and Factors that Impinge Youths Acceptance to Contract Farming
Article
  • Nov 2009
The growing body of literature associated with contract farming had examined its relevance and relationships between a number of variables in order to gain a better understanding on being involved in contract farming and agriculture in general. Youths acceptance of contact farming is an important element to the successful implementation of this farming method in agriculture. Thus, it is significant to draw to attention to the factors that affect youths participation in contract farming and its implications to policy development strategies. This article would be useful for future researchers who are seeking directions to further examine the determinants of youths acceptance of contract farming.
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Rural Youths' Participation in Agriculture: Prospects, Challenges and the Implications for Policy in Nigeria
Article
  • Sep 2010
The study aimed at assessing rural youth participation in agriculture, their access to production resources and services and the effects of youths' access to inputs and services on farm productivity and youths' welfare. The study was conducted in three states (each randomly selected from the three agro-ecological zones of northern Nigeria). Two Local Government Areas (LGAs) with high agricultural potential were randomly selected from each state. Because of the similarity in physical and socio-economic characteristics of rural communities, three villages were randomly selected from each LGA, and six youths from each village. Thus three states, six LGAs, 18 villages and 108 rural youths were the sample frame for the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study revealed that 79% of rural youths were involved in agricultural activities for subsistence and sale. Over 62% of youths earned between N10,000.00–N50,000.00 per annum (68.96–344.82) from agricultural activities. Only 2.8% of youths reported that inputs were readily available in their communities. According to the youths, marketing of farm produce was associated with numerous problems, including low prices (59.3%), bad road network (37%) and poor/lack of storage facilities (13%). In spite of these challenges, youths have assets such as good literacy levels (50%) and access to agricultural information among others. In terms of food security, 70% of youths reported that they had adequate stock of food to feed on throughout the year, while 30% said they did not have enough stock for the year, leading to hunger. The implication of the findings is that youths should be given the necessary orientation/training on agricultural production, which should be backed up with production resources and services to enable the youths to embark on agricultural activities in a sustainable manner.
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Young women's attitudes towards agriculture and women's new roles in the Greek countryside: A first approach
Article
  • Apr 1999
  • J RURAL STUD
In recent years the employment situation in urban areas has deteriorated, particularly for women, while in countryside new kinds of work are being promoted in the framework of endogenous development. The purpose of the present article in the light of these conditions is to examine the attitude of young women to employment in farming and the prospect of living in a farming household, as well as their attitude to the new roles that are emerging for farm women. The data are derived from field research in four communities, having been obtained by means of a personal questionnaire addressed to all the unmarried women between 18 and 30 who live in them. The findings indicate that the girls' attitude to farm employment remains extremely negative. Their orientations in relation to work and place of residence are characterized by strong inclinations to emigrate to urban or semi-urban areas. Their attitude to the prospect of having a farmer for a husband is more flexible, but only on certain conditions. The new roles that are promoted for women in the agricultural sector are perceived as low income occupations, which can be seen only as a temporary expedient, acceptable as an answer to the employment problem only until such time as a better solution can be found.
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The Attitude, Belief, Support and Knowledge Level of the Youth and their Acceptance towards Agriculture Contract Farming
Article
  • Jan 2010
Problem statement: Agriculture sector in Malaysia has been intensified through the Eight and Ninth Malaysian Plan. In order to further develop this sector, contract farming activities such as leech rearing, worm rearing, herbs and mushroom have been introduced to the community. But do the communities especially the youth have a positive acceptance towards this activity? Approach: This was a quantitative study. The respondents were among two agriculture learning institutions in Malaysia. From a simple random sampling, a total of 194 respondents were selected. The data collection took two months to be completed. Results: From the multiple linear regression employed, it can be concluded that attitude, belief and knowledge are the significant contributor for acceptance towards contract farming. Conclusion/Recommendation: It is recommended that more studies can be conducted to inspect the complexities related with youths participation in contract farming and special attention should be highlighted to identify what universities can do in strategizing specific agricultural courses that would motivate youth to possess a better acceptance towards contract farming.
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