54,000 New Undergraduate Workers Needed Annually in Agriculture Sector

Nov 22, 2012

U.S Department of Agriculture Projects Need for More Skilled Workers in Agriculture

With a growing global population projected to reach 9 billion by the year 2050, plus record-high exports for U.S agriculture products – the need for skilled workers in the agriculture sector has seen a tremendous increase over the last decade. While the umbrella term “agriculture” encompasses many different professions, there is certainly a demand for more skilled agricultural workers across the sector, according to a USDA report.

There is growing demand for scientists and chemists to work within the agrochemical industry, producing everything from new fertilizers to better pest controls. The same demand is true for scientists who contribute to research and development around genetically modified organisms, including new methods for plant-based pest controls and drought resistant crops.

Traditional on-farm labour jobs have been declining over time as the advent of new technology has decreased and the demand for man power in the fields. That being said, the demand for engineers to develop new agricultural technology has never been greater.

If you’re a student still wondering what you would like to do with your career, consider all the opportunities that are available in the agricultural industry and consider training and education that would foster an in-demand, high-paying career. Veterans are also encouraged to look towards agriculture as a new career path, with government programs already in place to help the transition.

There are some great agriculture employment resources available online that you can utilize to find out what types of agriculture related jobs are available in your area and what skills may be required to obtain them. AgCareers.com for example, provides job seekers and employers a platform to post jobs and resumes, plus agricultural industry workforce compensation information and agricultural human resource services.

Video: A new era in biostimulants and bionutritionals

In response to the growing need for efficient, effective biosolutions, HGS BioScience continues to expand its footprint in the bionutritional and biostimulant market with the acquisition of NutriAg, Ltd. The Paine Schwartz Partners-backed HGS BioScience is a global leader in humic and fulvic acid products. Toronto-based NutriAg is an innovator in bionutritional technologies with a deep R&D engine. North American growers and retailers will benefit from:

• Solutions across the biostimulant spectrum - including humics, fulvics, bionutritionals, carbohydrate chelation, amino acids, plant and seaweed extracts, and microbial technologies.
• A portfolio and R&D pipeline of science-backed solutions proven to drive crop productivity and farm profitability.
• Actionable nutrient insights and recommendations based on data specific to their farm and cropping goals with the NutriAnalytics platform