Managing produce, from farm to plate

Agribusiness managers are in great demand, both on the 'input' side of agriculture - seeds, fertilizer, machinery businesses - as well as in the processing of the 'output'

- Sanjay

Nikesh Rathi and Saumya Mishra enrolled in Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Agribusiness Management) or PGDM-ABM programmes at two different Hyderabad institutions, National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) and National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), respectively. Both are gear ing up to transform the way agribusiness is conducted in India.

Having nurtured an interest in agriculture since their undergraduate studies, they are now aiming for administrative careers in agricultural companies.

"I was advised by seniors at SDAU that MBA Agribusiness is a solid path for those not inclined toward research," said Mishra, a BSc Agriculture graduate from Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU), Gujarat, and now in second year of the management programme at NAARM.

Rathi's journey is rooted in family business. His father runs an agri-input shop in Maharashtra's Amravati, providing seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides to local farmers. Inspired by agricultural officers he encountered as a student of agricultural engineering at Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, he chose to pursue agribusiness to manage large agricultural companies. "I have been at MANAGE for three months, and the learning is invaluable," he said.

Demand for managers

As agriculture and allied sectors in India expand, professionals trained in agribusiness management are in high demand. Both MANAGE and NAARM boast 100% placements for their 2022-24 batch.

According to university professors and senior officials, there is a huge demand for agricultural managers as the sector expands. MBA agriculture graduates are preferred in jobs related to fertilisers, pesticides and food processing, among others.