Abstract

 

This paper explores the readiness of young people in Serbia to start an agribusiness, with a particular emphasis on the perception of state financial support and entrepreneurial education as key determinants of entrepreneurial intentions. The study was conducted using a quantitative methodology on a sample of 485 respondents of diverse age and educational backgrounds. Specific statistical tools were employed to test the established scientific hypotheses: the Pearson's correlation analysis to determine the relationships between variables, and multiple regression analysis to define the impact of predictors on the dependent variable. The results indicate that the respondents have highly rated the availability and adequacy of state financial instruments (M > 4.27), and that this variable has significantly influenced their readiness to start an agribusiness (R2 = 31.01%; p < 0.0001). The entrepreneurial education variable also demonstrated a statistically significant and stronger effect (R2 = 44.88%; p < 0.0001), although greater variability was observed in the responses, particularly regarding mentorship support and the alignment of programmes with market needs. The key empirical finding has revealed that the combined effect of state financial support and entrepreneurial education, through the multiple regression model, explained 51.81% of the variance in entrepreneurial readiness, with entrepreneurial education providing a greater relative contribution. The results obtained in this paper offer a valid foundation for creating integrated support policies for young agri-entrepreneurs.

 

Key words: Agribusiness, State financial support, Entrepreneurship education, Entrepreneurial intentions, Young agri-entrepreneurs.