ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how entry opportunities are related to a dual agricultural structure. It discusses the process of farm recruitment within the context of national rural development strategies and explores the linkages between production agriculture and the non-farm rural economy and explains how patterns of rural industrial development act to either enhance or dampen farming opportunities. The increasing concentration of agricultural production into larger-than-family units implies a fundamental shift in the types of personnel that seek out farming as a full-time occupation. However, entry into farming is also sensitive to the personal attributes and human capital characteristics of aspiring farmers. For farm managers, human capital characteristics such as prior farming experience, formed education, and the like, take on added importance in the recruitment process. However, entry into farming is also sensitive to the personal attributes and human capital characteristics of aspiring farmers.
