ANTECEDENTS OF VALUE ADDED AGRICULTURE

Agriculture sector is the foundation on which the structure of Indian economy is built. However lack of economic stability offered by the sector, increase jobs in service sector and increased status consciousness has forced many to stay away from this sector. This scenario led to decrease in the proportion of Indian population engaged in agricultural activities. However this aversion of Indian population especially educated youth towards agricultural activities is witnessing a transition phase at the present, as the increased job insecurity in service and other sectors due to wide range of policy and administrative changes taking place at the international levels, increased work stress. Poor work life balance has created an urge in the Indian youth to take up initiatives to develop a livelihood in the homeland. This search has resulted in taking up the wide range of entrepreneurial opportunities agriculture sector offers by way of value addition and other innovative measures Through this study the researcher tries to analyze the prospects and role of value added agriculture in agriprenueship with special reference Idukki district, Kerala- a well agriculture dependent district, In value addition to agricultural products has in developing agri entrepreneurial activities and the various problem faced by them in taking up these initiatives.