“The key conclusions arising out of the study are; the youth withdrawal from agriculture is higher than that of the older cohorts although a significant proportion of the youth still derive their livelihood from agriculture. The shift from agriculture is biased towards the services sector and more prominent among the educated youth. The probit estimation reveals that the youth
with at least secondary education are less likely to engage in agriculture – more so the male youth (both married and unmarried). On the other hand, factors like increased agricultural income tend to attract the youth towards farming, this is an indication that if agriculture is transformed from its current largely subsistence nature to a form where the youth are able to sell their output and earn some income, they would not only be gainfully employed but also cut down on the current levels of underemployment being experienced in the sector. In light of the study results, Uganda might be faced with an uneducated and ageing farming population sooner than later if the current constraints faced by the youth in agriculture are not addressed and the notion of youth being future farmers might be a myth. However, with targeted interventions, the youth can still be at the forefront of revitalizing the agricultural sector and the sector could be a potential source of gainful employment for the vast unemployed and under employed youth.”
