Career as Agricultural Engineer
Agricultural Engineering is a part of the tech department that deals with solving issues related to machine efficacy, power supplies, environmental issues, storage, processing, and growth of the agricultural products. Today, massive developments have taken place and gone are the days when one had to toil hard all day under the sun. The work of these engineers is majorly focused on applying the principles of engineering in improving the agricultural sector. Innovative machines are designed that makes the agricultural process easier. Candidates having a passion for amalgamating the traditional agricultural methodologies with modern technology should surely choose this. In the coming years, the projected increase in the demand for agricultural engineers is approximately 5%.
- About Agricultural Engineer :
- Job Profile |
- How do I get there?
Job Profile
With technological
advancement, significant changes took place in the technique of
agricultural production. Agriculture contributes highest to the
Indian economy. But, the condition of the farmers is not great.
They still toil hard under the sun and grow the food for the entire
nation. It is at this point where agricultural engineers play an
authentic role.They assess and analyse the environmental impacts on
agricultural growth, supervises the construction of reclamation,
drainage and irrigation daily. They even test and install new
harvesters, logging machinery and alike.
Candidates who hold
enough experience and have completed M.Tech can even join
government bodies to make significant decisions related to
agricultural development. Nowadays, the agricultural domain is
expanding at a rapid pace. New projects and development programs
are lined up that has increased the demand of an expert engineer.
To accomplish the project, renowned engineers work in a team that
requires enough fieldwork. For testing and analysing whether the
equipment is perfect or not, they have to work and rework on it.
Farm-based working is more. One needs to remain away from home for
a few days if they are posted as an agricultural research
engineer.
The scope of growth and
development is quite high. Several vacancies in government
organisations are more for Agricultural Engineers. Students
qualified with B.Tech and M.Tech can apply for the agricultural
developments in state government, food and processing department,
research department and many more.
The average annual pay of the agricultural engineers is 77,100 dollars. Salary in private sector firms like Research and Development firms or fertilizer firms is between Rs 2.5 lakh to 4.5 lakh per annum. The pay scale varies from company to company. In private companies, the pay scale is less as compared to the government committees. Compelling career options include Agricultural production and research engineers, conservation engineers, farm equipment engineers, agricultural research engineers, biosystems engineers and many more. Top recruiters of the agricultural engineer in India are Nestle India Ltd, AMUL Dairy, SRIJAN, Shriram fertilisers and chemicals, Animal breeding centre, Sungro Seeds Ltd and many more.
Pros and cons of being an Agricultural Engineer
Pros
- You are part of something that would lead to the welfare of the whole economy
- Being the demanding sector, one’s chances of growth and secure job increases
- One is the part of that industry that feeds the entire nation
- As very few students move ahead to this career, competition is less fierce
Cons
- As the job is related to a lab test, an electrical hazard is more
- If labelling is done false, it can hurt various individuals
- Extensive practising, years of experience and sufficient skills are required to grow prosperously
Future growth prospects and How to get there faster
How do I get there?
To enrol in the B.Tech program, a student should qualify with the aggregate marks of 50% in Science stream. Two popular courses under UG and PG programs include B.Tech in agricultural engineering and M.Tech in agricultural engineering respectively. After completing +2 from Science stream, candidates can appear in different agricultural entrance exams.
|
Entrance Exam |
UG/PG level |
|
ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) All India Entrance exam |
B.Tech & M.Tech |
|
IIT-JAM (Indian Institute of Technology- Joint Admission Test) |
B.Tech & M.Tech
|
|
AIEEE- All Indian Engineering Entrance Exam |
B.Tech |
|
Institute of Technology (BHU) Entrance Exam |
B.Tech |
|
IIT-JEE |
B.Tech |
|
National Institute of technology combined pre-entrance test |
B.Tech |
|
Graduate Aptitude test in Engineering |
M.Tech |
|
North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) entrance examination |
B.Tech & M.Tech |
How much does it cost?
The average cost of completing B.Tech in agricultural engineering is approximately 3 lakh. The amount charged by the government colleges is relatively less as compared to private colleges. The former charges approximately 7k to 10k per semester while the private colleges charge Rs 60k per semester. However, the cost of the diploma and certification is notably less. The cost depends upon the type of institute and the facilities they avail.
What are the top colleges where one should be studying to become an Agricultural Engineer?
There are a multitude of agricultural colleges and universities
in India that offer quality education with enormous growth options.
This is the most demanding position but is least preferred. Hence,
chances of securing seats are more. Here is the list of top
colleges that you can consider:
|
Rank |
Name of the College, City |
Programme Fees (Range) |
|
1. |
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur |
Rs 8.3 Lakh for 4-year B.Tech |
|
2. |
Parul University, Vadodara |
Rs 3.44 Lakh for 4-year B.Tech |
|
3. |
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad |
Rs 62,640 |
|
4. |
College of Engineering (CEG) Guindy, Chennai |
Total Fees for B.Tech: Rs 82,380 |
|
5. |
Hindusthan college of engineering and technology, Coimbatore |
Total fees for 4-year B.Tech: Rs 2 Lakh |
|
6. |
Bharath University, Selaiyur Chennai |
Total fees for 4-year B.Tech: Rs 6 Lakh |
|
7. |
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee |
Rs 5 Lakh for 4-year B.Tech |
Books and other Study Material
- Soil Enzymology by Ajit Verma and Girish Shukla
- High-Tech and Micropropagation V: (Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry) by Y.P.S. Bajaj
- Agricultural Water Management by Premjit Sharma
- Biofertilisers and Organic Farming by Himadri Panda
What if the career does not work out for me? What are the other options for a person with these credentials?
Other careers of your interests
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Content on this page is by Career Expert Mrs. Kum Kum Tandon MA (Psychology), M.Ed, Diploma in Educational Psychology, Vocational Guidance & Counseling (NCERT, Delhi) | View Complete Profile |