Youth involvement and their Barriers to Tilapia Farming in Central Malawi

Despite the growing importance of aquaculture in enhancing food security and livelihoods in Malawi, youth participation in the sector remains alarmingly low. This study explored the barriers limiting youth engagement in tilapia farming. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, data was collected between January and February 2022 from 102 respondents across Dowa and Mchinji districts in Central Malawi comprising both tilapia farming participating and non-participating youths. A mixed methods approach was employed, combining descriptive statistics, Garrett ranking, thematic analysis, and Probit regression to analyze socioeconomic factors and rank the severity of entry barriers. The findings revealed that participating youths were significantly older (29.0 vs. 26.0 years, p = 0.007), more likely to own land (73.2% vs. 36.1%), and had substantially higher access to extension services (92.7% vs. 21.3%), training (75.6% vs. 24.6%), and fish farmer clubs’ members (51.2% vs. 11.5%) than non-participants. Major deterrents included lack of capital (36.2%), high feed costs (34.5%), limited availability of quality fingerlings (35.3%), and poor access to profitable markets (23.2%). Cultural norms restricting land inheritance further constrained young women’s ability to own ponds or production assets. Access to extension services had the largest marginal effect, increasing the probability of participation by 71.5 percentage points. Membership in farmers’ clubs raised the likelihood by 43.9 points, land ownership by 54.4 points, and access to training by 52.2. Household size also had a significant positive influence, increasing the probability by 7.5 percentage points. The Garrett ranking analysis identified lack of capital and credit as the most severe barrier (78), followed by high feed costs (77) and lack of quality fingerlings (75). In contrast, water scarcity and disease outbreaks were ranked as less critical but still offered relevant challenges. The study concludes that structural, institutional and perceptual barriers must be addressed through targeted interventions such as youth inclusive policies, subsidized input schemes, expanded extension services and land access reforms. Additionally, enhancing financial literacy and creating youth-tailored financial products could increase participation. These insights are critical for policymakers, development partners, and private actors working to promote inclusive aquaculture development in Malawi and similar contexts across sub- Saharan Africa. Key words: Entry barriers, Malawi, Youths, Participation, Fish farming, Tilapia, Probit Regression Model