Sow the seeds of a productive career
Sunit Dhawan

Agriculture, said to be the backbone of a country’s economy, is vital to sustainable growth and development. More so in a country like ours, in which a majority of population lives in villages and is chiefly dependent upon agricultural income for its survival.

On the other hand, the fast decreasing size of land-holdings, coupled with ever-increasing cost of farm inputs, have pushed the farmers into a vicious debt circle. Besides, unfavourable weather conditions, growing crop diseases and hazards of excessive use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides also threaten the farming community. Agriculture being considered a loss-making venture has become a cause of concern.

Challenges ahead

Apart from putting pressure on the government to take effective measures, the prevailing situation challenges the agricultural scientists and experts to evolve techniques for the betterment of farmers, tackling multifarious problems at the same time.

The field of agricultural education beckons the students who are ready to accept the challenge and have the courage, grit and determination to effect a positive change with their sustained efforts in the world’s most essential and basic profession.

In this perspective, the significance of agricultural education in ensuring enhanced productivity, sustainable growth and food and environment security is being recognised all over the globe.

Courses of study

The basic course in agriculture is a B.Sc or B.Sc (Hons) in Agriculture, which is offered by all state agricultural universities and some of their affiliated institutions. B. Sc (Hons) in agriculture is a four-year degree programme. The admission to the course is granted through entrance tests conducted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) at the national level and by state agricultural universities at their own level. Students having studied Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Mathematics/Agriculture in their Class XII exam are eligible for the test.

Fields of specialisation

After completing the B. Sc in Agriculture, the students can go in for a postgraduate degree (M. Sc) programme in a vast variety of areas. The areas of specialisation in the discipline include Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Meteorology, Agri-business Management, Soil Science, Seed Technology, Horticulture, Forestry, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Nematology, Vegetable Science, Plant Breeding and Extension Education.

Apart from providing theoretical knowledge to the students, the agricultural universities and other institutions also send them to villages and research farms for practical hands-on training. They are also sent to agro-industrial units, many of which absorb the trainees after the completion of their course.

Earn while you learn

The students are also given self-employment training in various emerging profitable areas.

The College of Agriculture at Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, enables the B. Sc (Agriculture) students to reap decent profits by practically engaging them in farming. The land and farm inputs for growing crops are provided by the university authorities. When the yield is harvested, the students have to return the cost of inputs to the university, while the profit is all theirs. While the university runs the programme on a no-profit, no-loss basis, the students can get useful practical exposure as well as financial benefit from it.

Fellowships galore

There is an immense scope of quality research in the field of agricultural education. The students can go in for Ph.D and post-doctoral study programmes in the country and abroad. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and various Indian and foreign institutions grant fellowships for higher studies in the discipline. There are also sandwich programmes, under which a student can take admission in an agricultural university or institution, then go abroad for study and research, then come back and obtain the degree from the parent institution.

Reap the benefits

The promising discipline has a vast scope, provided the students shun the conservative mindset of running after government jobs and are ready to go to far-off places instead of remaining confined to their region.

Apart from the traditional jobs, the agricultural graduates and postgraduates are now being offered good placements by the banks and insurance companies in their agricultural loan and insurance divisions. They can also get lucrative jobs with plant/seed quarantines at airports. The fast-growing sugar industry and fertiliser and pesticide-manufacturing units also absorb a considerable number of passouts.

There is a special entry scheme for agricultural professionals in the defence services, where they are supposed to look after the military farms. Tea estates and agro-based industrial units also provide good openings.

The Reliance group has recently absorbed a number of graduates and postgraduates in the field for the Special Economic Zone to be set up in Haryana.

Those having entrepreneurial skills and aptitude can set up their own agri-clinics, food-processing units or other agro-industrial units. They can also venture into the promising field of organic farming or start a progressive farming enterprise using scientific and technical expertise.

To ensure a handsome regular income, the agricultural professionals can join hands with agro-based industrial units and begin contract farming.