Analysis of entrepreneurial skills of farmers from Camoapa Cattlemen’s Association, Boaco, Nicaragua, January 2016 to June 2017

Abstract

This research describes the characteristics of the producers of the Association of Livestock Breeders of Camoapa, assesses their business skills and proposes strategies to improve them. A survey, assessment test, focus group, some Geilfus tools and SWOT analysis for the generation of strategies were applied. The socio-economic and technical characteristics, business capacities and improvement strategies were evaluated. The results indicate that the producers have the main purpose of producing milk, they present a weak technological incorporation to their production processes, only 21.8% receive technical assistance or training, 36% of them work with fi nancing for the purchase of land. , livestock and means of transportation; they do not perform formal economic valuation of their farms, they present a high Index of Entrepreneurial Capacity (ICE), except in the knowledge variable (ICE under) that considers the aspects: diff erent ways of doing things, documentation of production, participation in training, consultation with experts and technicians to make decisions in the development of their activities and annual budgeting. The strategies aimed at improving the entrepreneurial capacities of producers consider: the fi nancial strengthening to improve the profi tability of their productive units, the development of technical and administrative capacities according to their needs and expectations, the adaptation to climate change and the diff usion of the knowledge about those business aspects that allow a change of attitude to face the challenges of the agricultural sector.