Relevancy of Agri-Clinic and Agri-Business Center Training Curriculum for Agripreneurs: A Study in Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The Agri-Clinic and Agri-Business Center (AC&ABC) programis designed to train rural youth in agricultural skills, enabling them to start their own ventures and support farmers. This study was carried out from March to September 2021, analyzed the relevancy of training courses provided under the scheme by nodal training institutes in enhancing entrepreneurial success. A total of 100 respondents from a nodal training institute in Varanasi participated, and Data was gathered using a pre-tested interview schedule following an Ex-Post-Facto research design. Findings revealed that, in the Entrepreneurial Development phase, the relevancy index ranged from 54.34 per cent for “Problem Solving” to 72.67 per cent for “Communication Skills.” In the Enterprise Planning and Resourcing phase, scores varied between 58.34 per cent for “Mobilization of Resources” and 78 per cent for “Enterprise Planning.” For the Entrepreneurial Management phase, the lowest score was 55 per cent for “Cash/Fund Flow,” and the highest was 79 per cent for “Related Case Studies.” In the Entrepreneurial Planning phase, the relevancy index ranged from 53.67 per cent for “Market Survey: Report and Analysis” to 81 per cent for “Exposure Visits”. Key challenges were social stigma (60%), market fluctuations (59%), pricing (40%), and climate (33%). The study recommends refining AC&ABC training with enriched content, digital literacy, strategy, and experiential learning.