engleski

YOUNG FARMER’S ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE BUSINESS COOPERATION

Business cooperation and networking is one of the basic preconditions for increase economic and social competitiveness of Croatian family farms, and for reviving other economic activities in rural areas. The paper describes some fragmented results from a study conducted among the young farmers in the Croatian continental region. We focused on their attitudes and intention regarding business cooperation in agriculture. The aim of the paper was to describe socio-demographic and professional characteristics of young farmers and to examine whether they perceive the co-operative model as a possible solution to strengthen their business competitiveness. The analysis is based on a survey conducted in December 2014, on a sample of 170 respondents from 18 to 40 years of age. The data were processed by standard statistical techniques for analysis of frequency distributions, percentages and average values, and some pairs of variables have been valued by usual tests (chi-square test and C coefficient). The results indicate that only 49.4% of surveyed young farmers are involved in some form of business co-operation (associations, cooperatives and producer organizations) in agriculture. The majority of respondents (63.9%) consider that the ‘cooperative model’ is essential for development of agriculture and socio-economic revitalization of Croatian rural areas. Among the group of farmers who operate independently, 45.3% have expressed willingness to be actively involved in establishment of cooperative.

young farmers; attitudes; business cooperation; cooperative

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