THE EFFECT OF KNOWLEDGE FACTORS & CHALLENGES ON DEVELOPING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS OF VEGETABLE FARMERS IN POLGAHAWELA DS DIVISION

Agriculture is a dominant field in Sri Lanka, with vegetable cultivation accounting for a large portion of it. Improving agri-entrepreneurship is a good solution for increasing farm efficiency and effectiveness, reducing youth unemployment, and alleviating poverty in rural Sri Lanka. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing farmers’ entrepreneurial skills and the challenges that farmer-entrepreneurs face. The study area was chosen as Polgahawela DS division in Kurunegala district. One hundred vegetable farmers (50 young and 50 old) were chosen at random. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data. The data was analyzed using reliability analysis, multiple regression models, and one-way ANOVA. According to the findings, education level, farming experience, and extension services all have a significant impact on the development of farmers’ entrepreneurial skills, which have a positive effect on farmer performance. The most significant challenges for vegetable farmers are marketing risk and finance. To develop farmers’ entrepreneurial skills, projects and programs may focus on education level, farming experience, and extension services, with the support of successful and more experienced old farmers.