Agribusiness Management is fast emerging as a course that can create employment opportunities in agribusiness, banking, insurance, and allied agriculture sectors. It combines agriculture, business and project management disciplines and covers different areas such as crop agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, poultry production, fisheries, horticulture, rural development, food processing, food retail, co-operation, food e-business, dairy business, project management, entrepreneurship, logistics management, and start-ups.
Courses and institutes
A range of courses are available: certificate, diploma, undergraduate postgraduate. While some universities in India offer BBA or B.Com. in Agribusiness Management, UG courses are limited.
However there are plenty of postgraduate coruses. The Hyderabad-based National institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) offers a two-year PG Diploma programme in Agribusiness Management with admissions being based on scores in CAT. The course is open to students who have a degree in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Horticulture, Fisheries, Agriculture engineering or allied subjects with 50% aggregate. MANAGE also offers placement assistance in India and abroad.
Other institutes that offer courses at the PG level include the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Indore, Kerala Agricultural University; DY Patil University, Kolhapur; Symbiosis Institute of International Business, and Banaras Hindu University (BHU). MBA programmes are offered by Aligarh Muslim University; ASM Institute of Business Management and Research, Pune; DBS Dehra Dun; University of Mysore; Institute of Agribusiness Management, Bikaner; Amity University, and Parul University. The Institute of Rural Management and Anand and National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, offer PG programmes in Rural Development but focus on Agriculture Business Management.
Many universities in India and South Asia offer diploma and certificate programmes in customised areas such as plant nurseries, dairy processing, poultry processing, post-harvest technologies in crop production, fish processing, feed milling, dairy cattle production, entrepreneurship management, supply chain management, commercial farming, food processing, and retail management. The National Skill Development Corporation also offers various skill development courses. Various agriculture universities and IIMs offer doctoral programmes in different emerging areas in Agribusiness.
For those looking to study abroad, options are available in the European Union, Australia, the U.K. and Southeast Asian countries. The University of Wageningen and the HAS University in Netherlands; the University of Western Australia and the University of Newcastle in Australia offer stakeholder-based courses.
Opportunities
On completion, students can become entrepreneurs, establish startups or work in agri-food based MSMEs. Thos Those who complete PG programmes can either go in for research or work as faculty in academia or research institutions. can pursue for research and work as faculty members in academia or research institutions. Other options include establishing start-ups or working in agri-food based Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Agribusiness Management professionals can also work in banks and companies such as fertilizer firms, cattle feed manufacturers, dairy processing centres, poultry processing units, seed companies, NGOs, agri-insurance companies, technology providers, retail firms, co-operatives such as Amul, IFFCO, milk unions, among others.
Other opportunities include roles in the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the business incubation centres of Indian Council for Agricultural Research, start-ups, food retail companies, cargo and export management companies among others.
It has been forecast that, by 2025, of the total retail market, 70% will be food related. In order to explore the increasing need for ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook food products, country requires skilled Agribusiness Management professionals to address the emerging opportunities and challenges.
The writer is Professor, Transdisciplinary University of Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru. E mail- tpsethu2000@gmail.com).
