Participation of Rural Youths in Mushroom Production in Umuahia Agricultural Zone, Abia State, Nigeria

This study examined the participation of rural youth in mushroom production in the Umuahia Agricultural zone of Abia State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents and examined their level of participation in mushroom production technology in the study area. Purposive and multi-stage sampling procedures were used in the selection of 60 youths who participated in Mushroom Production Technology Training in Umuahia Agricultural Zone. Data were collected with a structured questionnaire and analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics, while ordinary least square regression analysis was employed to test the hypothesis. The findings show that 58.3% of the respondents were males, 65.0% had tertiary education and 63.3% had 1-4 years experience in mushroom production. Participation in mushroom production was high (mean=3.17). The regression analysis shows that the level of education, household size, years of experience, and level of income of the respondents significantly influenced the level of participation of youth in mushroom production technology in the study area. From the result, the null hypothesis was rejected and the alternate hypothesis was accepted given that the computed F-statistic of 72.136 was significantly higher than the critical F-statistic at 1% level. Based on the results of the study, it could be inferred that the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents influenced their level of participation in mushroom production. The study recommended that government should encourage youths to get involved in mushroom production by relating the production technology information in such a way that they can understand and practice.