Motivation of the Young Farmer in Agricultural Entrepreneurship

Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: retno.wulandari@umy.ac.id

Abstract

The declining participation of youngs in the agricultural sector poses a significant challenge to ensuring the sustainability and productivity of agriculture in Indonesia. Despite various initiatives to promote youth engagement in agribusiness, empirical studies examining the motivational factors driving youngs to pursue agricultural entrepreneurship remain limited. Sleman. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to describe the entrepreneurial motivation of young farmers and to analyse the factors that influence these motivations in Sleman Regency, Indonesia. Using a quantitative survey method, data were collected from 60 respondents. Guided by the ERG Theory, the study examined three dimensions of motivation—existence, relatedness, and growth—which were found to be relatively high among respondents. The findings further reveal that self- efficacy, the role of social media, and farmer group participation significantly influence the entrepreneurial motivation of young farmers. These results highlight the importance of strengthening social and psychological support systems to enhance youth participation and innovation in the agricultural sector.