Courses after Class 12 agriculture: government jobs, research and startup options

India is an agrarian country, and the field of agriculture is no longer confined to farms and threshing floors. It is emerging as a major corporate and research hub. Lakhs of students choose agriculture in Class 12 every year.

After the board examinations, students and their parents often ask what employment opportunities lie ahead. Those who have completed Class 12 in the agriculture stream have many good career options in India and abroad.

The most popular course after Class 12 agriculture is BSc Agriculture, a four-year professional degree programme. Students can also choose, according to their interest, courses such as BSc Horticulture, BSc Forestry, BTech Agricultural Engineering, BSc Dairy Technology or BFSc.

Admission to these courses is through CUET-UG at the national level and various entrance examinations at the state level. These give admission to the country's top agricultural universities.

After a degree in agriculture, a large number of government jobs open up under the Centre and state governments. Students can go into the banking sector, where agriculture field officers are recruited every year through IBPS SO. Appointments to the posts of agriculture development officer, agriculture extension officer and soil conservation officer are also made through the SSC and state public service commissions. Large institutions such as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and NABARD also advertise administrative and technical posts for agriculture graduates every year.

Besides government jobs, agriculture professionals are in heavy demand in the private sector. Large fertiliser, seed and pesticide companies in India and abroad hire agriculture graduates as sales executives, research associates and quality assurance officers. The food processing industry, dairy farms, cold storage chains and the agrochemical industry also offer work at good salary packages.

Those interested in study and research can become agricultural scientists by doing an MSc and PhD after the BSc. There is a great need for scientists and professors at the various research centres under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and at Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

There is also the chance to start a venture in this sector. With the help of Central government schemes such as Agri-Clinics and Agri-Business Centres, young people can earn well by starting a soil testing laboratory, an organic farming consultancy or an agro-tourism business.