RURAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN AGRO-FOOD PROCESSING IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

The study examined rural women entrepreneurship in agro-food processing in Enugu State. Interview schedule was used to collect data from 160 respondents. The result revealed that majority (88.1%) of women agro-food processors in Enugu State had low level of involvement in agro-food processing activities. About 57% of women agro-food processors were at low level of participation in establishment of agro-food processing enterprise in the State. Majority (86%) of the respondents indicated that they had no training in entrepreneurship. Constraints that militated against rural women agro-food processing enterprise to a great extent in Enugu State were lack of capital (M=2.90), inability to apply modern processing technique (M=2.72), lack of governmental support (M=2.63), lack of processing equipment (M=2.51), and low level of food processing concepts (M=2.49). The study concluded that rural women were involved in post harvest agro-food processing activities but their level of involvement/participation in establishment of micro agro-food processing enterprises was low. The start up capital was low which could affect the growth and sustainability of the enterprise. Majority of the women agro-food processors had no entrepreneurial training.