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“SEZs promise new vistas to farm scientists”

Agriculture education faces many challenges in the times to come, says Dr D.C.Gupta, Dean, College of Agriculture, Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar. Excerpts from an interview:

How do you visualise the future of agricultural education in the country?

A degree in agricultural education can prove to be key to success to the students who are prepared to accept challenges. Ensuring food security for an ever-increasing population despite the shrinking land-holdings and other constraints necessitates effective and practicable solutions. Thus, the field has immense scope for the students aspiring to become agricultural scientists.

What are the emerging trends in the field?

Growing emphasis on post-harvest technology and emergence of food-processing industry in a big way indicate a bright future. Relatively new concepts like value-addition, agricultural economics and marketing, crop diversification with focus on horticulture, etc have also opened more vistas.

What is the response of students towards the discipline?

More and more students, including a considerable number of girl students, are applying for admissions to graduate and postgraduate programmes in agriculture. There is also a proposal to introduce agricultural education at the school level.

What is the placement scenario?

Agricultural graduates and postgraduates are now being absorbed by banks and insurance companies. Agro-based industry, seed/plant quarantines at airports, defence sector, sugar-manufacturing and food-processing units, R&D wings of various institutions and tea estates offer good jobs. Besides, the development of SEZs is also expected to give a boost to placements.

What is your advice to students?

They should change their mindset of running after government jobs and be prepared to go for jobs away from their home. Those having an entrepreneurial bent of mind can set up agri-clinics, progressive farming ventures or agro-industrial unit of their own. There are plenty of opportunities for higher studies and research in the country as well as abroad.

— Sunit Dhawan