Examining the Perception of Undergraduate Students Towards Choosing Broiler Value Chain Business as a Vocation After Graduation

The study examined the perception of undergraduate students towards choosing the broiler value chain (BVC) business as a vocation after graduation. A questionnaire was used to collect cross-sectional data from 728 students in 4 universities. The findings show that the overall perception index of students somewhat agrees that there were sociocultural, economic, government policy, and resource availability factors that constrained their ability to engage in the BVC. Students also agreed that government policies were inimical to BVC businesses, which could affect their decision to engage in the BVC after graduation. The results of the three-way factorial MANOVA did not show any statistically significant difference. Hence, any policy aimed at increasing the participation of students in BVC business after graduation can be designed without exception. The components extracted following the PCA were sociocultural, economic, and production resource. This implies that the three factors are influencing students’ decisions to engage in the BVC after graduation. Available literature on the engagement of young people in agriculture in Ghana has predominantly focussed on agriculture in general and a few on cocoa, but not the livestock or broiler industry. This study, therefore, highlights the role perception plays in the decision-making process of students in choosing to engage in the BVC as a vocation. It is recommended that the government implement policies that create an enabling business environment for BVC businesses to be profitable, ensure national macroeconomic stability, and increase access to land and productive resources to shape positively the perception of students.