CAREER IN AGRICULTURE

Overview: 
While many areas of study and work have been eclipsed in the recent past by the gloss and glamour of information technology and now, bioinformatics, perhaps none has been so overlooked as Agriculture. Even so, not many of us grow up with the dream of making a contribution to this sector, however interested we may be in the sciences that drive it Biology, Chemistry, Geology, for instance. B.Sc.-Agriculture and Agricultural engineering tend to be seen by most as poor alternatives to other engineering or technology courses. It’s important to recognize that a degree in Agriculture or related fields like Fisheries, Horticulture, Agricultural Management, Aagricultural Technology, Veterinary Science, among others, can open the door to a variety of career options.

Eligibility / Course Duration: 
Agriculture is offered as a Bachelor’s degree course of three to four years duration at all the agricultural universities in the country. The minimum eligibility required for admission to B.Sc.(Ag.) course is a pass in 10+2 or equivalent examination with science or agriculture. Many universities fix a minimum aggregate of 50% marks to be obtained in the qualifying examination.

Admission to the different universities may be based on merit or performance in an entrance examination. Notifications of the courses at various places appear from January onwards, while the sessions usually begins between July and September.

More than 40 colleges offer the B.Sc.(Ag.) course, as also the M.Sc.(Ag.) course. Specialisations in agriculture include Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Chemistry, Animal Husbandary and Dairy, Horticulture, Farming Ssystem Management and Aagricultural Marketing Management. Also there are around 20 institutions offering BE Agricultural Engineering Courses.

Future Prospects:
Agriculture has always been the mainstay of our economy. It employs more than two third of the labour force in the entire country and is a major contributor to the national economy. Science and Technology have contributed significantly to agriculture in terms of improving productivity and quality. In order to gain a foothold in the highly competitive global market and to make major gains in the export market, there is an increasing demand for professionally qualified people in this sector.

Agriculture is a vast and diversified field, offering numerous career options. Other than those directly engaged in farming and other allied activities, the industry needs people in areas of research and development and agro-industry. Then there are specialized areas, with good career prospects, like Horticulture, Floriculture, Dairy and Poultry Farming, Fishery and so forth.The fields of work and study that come under the large umbrella of “Agriculture” are crucially important to the economy and, more importantly, to life on earth. Contrary to the perception of      many young people, it is not a dull and dreary area that leads only to low-paying (and low-prestige) jobs out in the remote rural areas, but it builds those very important links between people and their land. It’s one of those fields where you can really see scienc serves the needs of people. Agriculture students have opportunities in world organizations like FAO, World bank and ICRISAT.     

Personality Traits: 
Agriculturists work in several different and contrasting settings. They work in production,research,business and trade,in banking and finance, in journalism etc.for each area of work personal qualities need to match the reqirements of the job. Ability to work on one’s own as well as part of a team, good health, a strong back for frequent bending, indifference to unpleasant weather conditions, sometimes to dirty work, practical ability, good power of observation to detect early signs of disease in plants, animals and poultry, ability to deal with the unexpected calamity and interest in scientific developments. Researchers should have the ability to work for long periods with intense concentration, a keen analytical mind, and a strong scientific bent.

Employment Avenues:

Graduates agriculture  work in agro- companies dealing with the production of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals, fibre  and forest products and machinery and companies which deal with raw and processed farm products.Agriculture graduates are employed with nationalized and rural banks dealing with  agricultural loans and projects.Teaching in academic institutions is also an option for them .Opportunities in agriculture include  jobs in production , food processing and agribusiness.Trading of agrocommodities offers interesting global work options.

Students having B.Sc degree can qualify for a number of agricultural jobs and can work as technical workers and scientific assistants .Such jobs are mostly concerned with assisting reaserch pecialists in their particular area  of work like doing routine testing and recording of results on reports ,charts and drafts in the course of research.

Following are major career areas in the field of Agriculture:

Admission Procedure:

The mode of Admission, into BSc Agriculture (or) B.Tech Agriculture is through a Common Entrance Test conducted by IIT’s, State Governments, Deemed Universitites  Institutes and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), ICAR conducts All India Entrance Examination for 15% of UG seats in SAUS, DUS, CAU & CUS.