Amazing Career in Agriculture Sector in 2021-2030 Decade

Introduction to Agriculture Sector

India is a generally agricultural country. Nearly seventy per cent of India’s population lives in villages where agriculture is the leading occupation and activity. Human food and many other requirements are offered by the agriculture sector. Agriculture is significant for every country on this planet however for a country like India it is supposed to be more valuable as we require adequate agricultural produce to meet the necessities of our gigantic population.

The agriculture sector is believed to be more important because a substantial number of people acquire their livelihood only from agriculture. Even though post-independence much urbanisation and industrialisation have taken place in India, the presence of agricultural business, activities and rural economy furnishing to such activities remain important. However, like many other professions, agriculture has also undergone many changes in the new age of technology.

In this new era, the way of doing agriculture is changing or rather upgrading day by day. Technology is playing an important part in agriculture to increase agricultural yield. Be it Green house or poly house farming or Aqua-farming all new techniques of farming are arriving and the farmer wants to adapt them to gain profit. Nowadays many farmers have started farming exotic vegetables and fruits and this opens up a new field for a career in agriculture.

What is the Scope of the Career in Agriculture Sector in India and in the World?

India is one of the crucial players in the agriculture sector globally. India has the world’s prodigious number of cattle herds (cows & buffaloes), the largest region for plantation of wheat, rice, and cotton, and is the largest producer of milk and manufacturer of milk products, spices and pulses in the world. India is the second-largest grower of fruit, vegetables, tea, farmed fish, cotton, sugarcane, wheat, rice, cotton, and sugar.

The agriculture sector in India maintains the record for second-largest agricultural land in the world generating labour for about half of the country’s citizens. For this reason, Scholars in Agriculture sector play a vital role in the country’s growth and their career in agriculture sector have significance in nation’s interest.

The Indian food industry is assured of enormous growth, increasing its endowment to the world food business every year due to its massive capacity for value addition, especially within the food processing industry. The Indian food processing industry accounts for 30% of the nation’s total food market. This is one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. The raw material for the food industry comes from Agri lands and scientists in the agricultural sector have enormous scope.

Market Size of Agricultural Sector

According to the study, the Indian agricultural sector is expected to increase to US$ 25 billion by 2025. Globally, the Indian food and grocery market are sixth largest, with retail contributing 70% of the total turnover.

Expeditious population growth in India is the prime factor driving the Agricultural and food industry. The increasing earnings levels in rural and urban areas have assisted in an increase in the demand for agricultural products throughout the country.

By this, the market is being encouraged by the growing adoption of innovative techniques including Artificial Intelligence also known as AI, blockchain, and drones which are playing important roles in various factors in the agricultural sector, geographic information systems which are known as GIS help in location and condition of lands, remote sensing technologies, and in past years various e-farming application has released to help farmers. This shows us that technology is entering the career in agriculture sector. So there is large scope for the student who loves technology as well.

In terms of exports, the sector has seen virtuous development in the past year. In the Financial year 2022

Exports of rice including Basmati and Non-Basmati rice stood at US$ 7.5 billion.
Exports of sugar stood at US$ 3.8 billion.
Buffalo meat exports stood at US$ 3.11 billion.
Marine products Export stood at US$ 6.79 billion.
Exports of Tea stood at US$ 754.50 million.
Exports of Coffee stood at US$ 924.9 million.

What are the Opportunities for Job & Career in Agriculture Sector?

One of the most important points that everyone should know about is “The Agricultural Study is not only for the landowners and farming background, yes it will be beneficial for them if a student has such a background but students without a farming background and even if they are not farm owners, can make their career in agriculture sector”

Agriculture and agronomy have a widespread impact and it is, directly and indirectly, related to the economy and community in many ways.

Education in Agriculture opens many avenues of work. Nowadays campus placement took place at many institutes which offer courses in Agriculture. Following are the companies which have made campus selections in recent years

Amul
Godrej Agrovet
ITC
Nestle
Rallis India Ltd
Syngenta
KRIBHCO
Bayer
DCM SRIRAM,
Dhanuka Agritech
BASIX India
Aga Khan Foundation,
Aditya Birla Group etc.

The list will give you an idea about what kind of organizations and companies are looking for scholars with a qualification in agriculture. Many companies will join the list in the coming years.

By its very nature education in agriculture unlock the door for multiple opportunities locally, nationally and globally for those who are shaping their career in agriculture. Some of these are described below.

Agricultural Mechanics

Agricultural Mechanics includes agriculture engineering, maintenance and preservation of Agricultural machinery and plumbing, in addition to planning and designing buildings to produce and store agricultural products. Designing the structure for vertical farming where the maximum yield can be taken in available land.

Agricultural Processing

Although Food Science is developed as a new branch of study it is closely related to agricultural science. That is why agriculture graduates can work in many kinds of the food industry. At all levels, the food industry requires various types of workers, and many other skilled and unskilled kinds of manpower. The processing industry can create job opportunities for Agri students.

Agricultural Sales & Service, Marketing and Business Management

Marketing of fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural equipment and crops comes under the ‘sales’ category. Many national and multinational companies are in these fields they require graduates from the agricultural sector.

Agriculture-related services encompass a broad range of jobs such as dusting crops, maintaining greenhouse, shearing sheep, trimming hoofs (of the livestock), farriers and even veterinarians.

Examine Business Economics and profitable marketing strategy and a good knowledge of developing markets can facilitate anyone to set up diverse types of businesses related to agriculture and agricultural products.

With training in agriculture, one can also explore the opportunity to enter business or marketing. You may start your enterprise or become part of an organization engaged in such business. Several courses are available in agricultural and rural marketing and specialisation in such subjects. Institute of Rural Management, Anand is a foremost institute offering courses in rural business management. Institute of Rural Management, Jaipur and the National Institute Of Agricultural Marketing, Jaipur also offers courses in agri-business. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and some other management institutes offer postgraduate courses with specialisation in agribusiness management. There are many MNCs looking for students who are making a career in Agriculture management.

Agricultural Journalist

Agricultural Journalism allows you to write and tell people about government schemes, food production, industries regulations and about the new agricultural technology, innovations and types of equipment and the latest happenings in the Agricultural industries.

You can open your youtube channel and start doing agricultural journalism there are many you tubers and creators who are successful agricultural journalists who are helping society and fulfilling their passion you can take inspiration from them. One such Agricultural Journalist is an Indian Farmer on youtube.

Horticulture

Professions related to cultivating, growing and managing gardens fall under the aegis of horticulture careers. It integrates greenhouse and nursery management, turf management, floriculture and landscaping of gardens and expansive green spaces

Banking

The banking sector including both public and private sector banks recruits graduates in Agriculture as Agricultural Officers. For Public Sector Banks, the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection carries out a centralized test every year as an IBPS Specialised Officer Exam.

The Public sector banks have a dominant presence in the rural and semi-urban areas of the country. The Indian government has given exclusive targets to banks for financing agriculture and allied activities. The government-sponsored schemes including agriculture-based schemes are executed in the country through our public sector banks. All public sector banks have vacancies for Agricultural officers. An applicant who has completed their graduation in B.Sc Agri is considered eligible for such positions.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) employ such qualified candidate as Grade B Officers. Such vacancies are advertised every year. In public sector banks, the candidate who joins as an agricultural officer may decide to continue as an agriculture officer or opt to convert to a general banking officer after putting in the required number of years in service. The Agriculture graduates are also eligible to apply for generalist clerks and probationary officers through IBPS PO and IBPS clerks exam. As long as there will be a financial system in society, there will be a banking career in agriculture sector.

Some of the private sector banks also recruit Agriculture graduate candidates so that they can have a look at the agricultural projects which these banks are financing.

All India Services and State public service commissions

If you want to pick All India Services, Indian Forest Service (IFS) can be your best option for which examination is conducted every year by Union Public Service Commission. The State Service commission also conducts exams every to recruit Agricultural Graduates for various positions. In-depth preparation is needed to succeed in this competitive examination.

The Candidates who qualify in these competitive examinations are provided comprehensive training. They are posted as Divisional Forest Officers (DFO). Range Forest Officers etc. These posts are considered highly esteemed and prestigious. All India Service career in agriculture sector will give you an opportunity to work in policymaking and implementing procedures. In this way, your career in agriculture will play an important part in the life of many farmers.

Research & Development

Agriculture is a research-oriented science subject. It is essential to discover new trends, emerging demands and best practices in the field of agriculture to get the best out of it. Research plays an important role in this field and the government has acknowledged this.

To encourage research career in agriculture the government has established the apex body of the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR). There are numerous research institutes under the ICAR which encompass research centres for all major crops and other agricultural disciplines. Some of these research institutes are-

The government has established the Agricultural Scientist Recruitment Board for centralizing the recruitment procedure for agricultural scientists in government-established laboratories and institutions. Private sector companies offer job opportunities to agricultural scientists as well. Hence there is a possibility of working as an agricultural scientist in Government as well as in Private sector organisations.

Furthermore, there are a considerable number of agricultural research institutes worldwide. So you can pursue research opportunities on a global basis. There are many scholarships which are offered for agricultural research both nationally and internationally. A research career in Agriculture has immense opportunities throughout the world.

Rural Recreation & Start-ups

This field predominantly comprises working with sustainable and renewable resources. Careers related to the environment, wildlife, nature, water and soil can all fall under this category.

Nowadays, several agri-tech startups and Agri-tech entrepreneurs are coming up with creative, ingenious and eco-friendly solutions to produce a salubrious, healthy and sustainable food supply and reverse some of the environmental damage already done. For example:

Agrostar is a Pune-based m-commerce company firm that deals with agricultural products and solutions and sells them directly to farmers. They have field teams that supply packages to more than 25,000 villages of Maharashtra, Gujrat and Rajasthan on a punctual basis.
Ninjacart is a Bengaluru-based agri-tech start-up that connects over 3,000 farmers of South India with about 4,000 retailers in Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad to transport fresh agricultural produce from farms to retailers in less than 12 hours.
Stellapps is a Bengaluru based tech-startup that uses the Internet of Things (IoT) concept and data analytics in the Milk production space. This project is incubated in IIT Madras it supervises the quality and quantity of milk. They have created wearable devices for cattle to monitor their health so that they can maximise the production of dairy products.
CropIn Technology Solutions uses Artificial intelligence, machine learning and a cloud-based ‘SmartFarm’ platform which collects the data from the farm and can sense little damage to crops.
Trimble Inc is also a tech company that works for the development of the Agricultural sector with the use of technology.

Many start-ups and tech startups are now working in the agriculture sector. They are looking for candidates who are making their career in agriculture. You may have your start-up or you can work with any start-up.

Many governmental and non-governmental organizations are involved in rural developments and the area of social working in the agricultural sector, they also offer work opportunities for Agricultural graduates. Aga Khan Foundation is one such organisation which works in rural empowerment through agricultural development. You can also have the opportunity to do social work through your career in agriculture.

The agriculture sector provides opportunities around the world for students with higher qualifications in Agriculture. They may work with international organizations like

Teaching Field

In India and around the world there is a large number of institutes which offers education in agriculture and those willing to teach the subject has plenteous of opportunities. You can choose to coach graduate and postgraduate students. After doing PhD in Agriculture-related subjects you can even teach doctoral students.

For this teaching job, you’ll be required to have at least a Master’s degree in Agriculture. M.Sc Agri or equivalent. Those with research qualifications have an upper hand in teaching jobs.

Indian economy is turning a new leaf and the agriculture sector is going to play a major and more significant role in it. Students of agriculture are part of this new growth story of India. A teaching career in agriculture sector will always be there as many students are choosing to make their career in agriculture sector.

What is the Future of the career in the Agriculture Sector in India and the World?

As long as there is human on earth there will be an agriculture sector on earth. The agriculture sector is basic and very close to all human beings and hence a career in the Agriculture sector will always be present in the world.

Investment for development in Agricultural Sector

Here are some major developments and investments in the agriculture sector by which you can assume the future of careers in the agriculture sector.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has published the news that the Indian food processing industry has aggregately attracted a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of about US$ 2.55 billion in two years between April 2000-March 2022.
The Government of India has planned to launch Kisan Drones for the digitization of land records, and spraying of insecticides & nutrients and crop assessments.
In India, the organic food segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 10% during 2020-230 and is estimated to reach over Rs. 1,00,000 crore by 2030.
As the population is increasing, the processed food market is foreseen to grow by 2030 with the help of government initiatives such as scheduled infrastructure worth over US$ 1 trillion and the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna.
India stands in the third position in terms of agritech funding and the number of agritech start-ups. By 2030, Indian agritech companies are likely to witness investments worth over US$ 50 billion.

Government initiatives for the development of the Agricultural Sector

Despite these investments and development government plays an important role in the growth of the agricultural sector. Here are some government initiatives for the growth of the agricultural sector in future.

In the Union Budget 2022-23 Rs. 1.24 lakh crore has been assigned to the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare. And Rs. 8,514 crores has been assigned to the Department of Agricultural Research and Education.
In July 2022, the PMFME (Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises) scheme was launched for providing technical and financial support for the setting up of micro food processing ventures in the country and with an allocated fund of Rs. 10,000 crore
The government has established a network of 729 Krishi Vigyan Kendras at the district level throughout the country to make sure that newer technologies such as a better variety of seeds, new breeds of livestock and fish reach the farmers.
The Indian government has launched Digital Agriculture Mission for agriculture projects based on new technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, remote sensing and GIS technology, drones, robots and others.

Road Ahead in Agriculture Sector

India is anticipated to accomplish the ambitious goal of doubling farm earnings by 2022. The agriculture sector in India is anticipated to produce better thrust in the next few years due to increased investment in agricultural infrastructures such as irrigation facilities, warehousing and cold storage. Moreover, the increasing utilization of genetically modified crops will possibly improve the yield for Indian farmers.

In the coming five years, the central government will aim for US$ 9 billion in investments in the fisheries sector under PM Matsya Sampada Yojana. The government is focusing to raise fish production to 225 lakh tonnes by 2025. The acceptance of food safety and quality assurance mechanisms such as Total Quality Management (TQM) including ISO 9000, ISO 22000, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygienic Practices (GHP) by the food processing industry will offer several career opportunities in agriculture in future.

What is the Roadmap for making a career in the Agriculture sector?

Certificate Programs

The shortest agricultural courses that one can choose after SSC or HSC are the Certificate programs that commonly have a duration of one to two years. Most prevalent certificate programs are offered in the following agricultural subjects

Horticulture
Floriculture
Aquaculture
Fish Farming
Bee Keeping
Fruit Production

Diploma Courses

The majority of diploma courses are three years long but some diploma courses may have a period ranging from one to three years. You can do these courses after SSC or HSC depending on the qualification criteria fixed by the institute offering the course. The following are the popular Diploma courses that people choose in the fields of Agriculture

Dairy Technology
Floriculture
Food Processing
Horticulture.

Bachelor Programs (Graduation)

Nowadays there are many Bachelor’s Programs which are related to the agricultural field.

BBA ( Bachelor of Business Administration ) in Agricultural Management

The duration of a BBA in Agricultural Management is 3 years. A student from any background in class 12th can select the BBA course. A student will have to appear in CUET(Common University Entrance Exam ) for admission to this course.

B.E or B.Tech courses in the Agricultural field

The Students who have cleared their HSC Board exam in the Science stream (Physics, Chemistry, Math ) can opt for B.E. or B. Tech courses in the following agricultural field for making their career in agriculture sector even having an engineering background

Agricultural Engineering
Agricultural Information Technology
Dairy Technology
Agriculture and Dairy Technology
Agriculture and Food Processing.

For taking admission to B.E or B. Tech courses a candidate has to appear in JEE Mains exam B.E. and B.Tech programs are typically 4 years long.

Bachelor of Science in Agriculture

The students who have cleared their HSC board exam with Science stream ( Physics, Chemistry, Biology) or PCB with Maths) can Select for B.Sc (Bachelor of Science) in Agriculture. B.Sc programs take 3 to 4 years to complete including the internship. The students who are attracted to the agricultural sector and want to make a career in this sector B.Sc in Agriculture is the best option for them. A student will have to appear in the CUET UG exam for admission in the B.Sc agriculture course. The syllabus covers almost all topics related to agriculture.

The candidates have the choice to go for a general B.Sc. Agriculture course or opt a course which specializes in a specific branch of agriculture or related subjects like Horticulture, Forestry, Sericulture and Agronomy etc.

Master of Science in Agriculture (Post Grauation)

A Master of Science in agriculture make students further expertise in the subject. There are optional subjects in M.Sc Agriculture like

Agricultural Chemistry/Physics
Aquaculture Agronomy
Entomology
Horticulture
Forestry Nematology
Plant Physiology/ Pathology
Plant Breeding and Genetics
Soil Science etc.

Many candidates after their M.Sc. in Agriculture or equivalent qualification prefer to engage in research as there is an immense number of opportunities for research in agriculture and allied subjects.

Where to Study?

India has one of the finest educational infrastructures when it comes to education in different subjects associated with agriculture. The government has established the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for co-ordinating, guiding and managing research education in agriculture in our country. There are more than 70 agricultural universities and over 100 ICAR-affiliated institutes spread throughout the country for those who want to make a career in agriculture sector.

All agricultural universities offer B.Sc in Agriculture and M.Sc. in Agriculture courses. Some technical institutes offer B.Tech and M.Tech courses in Agricultural Engineering. Some renowned university also offers a PhD in Agriculture and its branches. Several institutes offer courses in Agricultural Economics/Statistics as well as Agri-Business Management.

Top Universities for Agriculture.

Some of the prominent institutes where you can make your career in agriculture by seeking admission for agricultural courses are as follows:

Conclusion

After reading the blog you will come to know that the agriculture sector is vast and continuously growing. You can definitely plan for a career in agriculture sector. If you love nature, village life, and helping people, then a career in agriculture will give you containment and fulfilment in life.

If you are a student or parent of a kid who is planning their career then you can find out the amazing opportunities there in a career in agriculture sector.

FAQ's

Is career in Agriculture good for future?

Yes, of course, A career in agriculture is good for the future. In our blog, we have mentioned all the reasons why it is good and have described the scope of the career in agriculture.

What is the salary in Agricultural field?

The salary in agriculture is variable depending on various factors such as the experience of your career in Agriculture. Place of posting etc. If you are able to fetch a government job, a few years of experience will give you a lakh rupee per month job. MNCs also pay handsome salaries to new recruits.

Is a career in agriculture good for girls?

Yes, A career in agriculture doesn’t mean that one has to work the whole day in a field. There are plenty of opportunities off the field in the agriculture sector.

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