The adage goes, “The manager works the produce, and the farmer works the soil.”
Food and Agribusiness is a highly specialized sector that has grown through leaps and bounds in the last few years. With the country’s escalating population, food processing tools and techniques in agriculture production have picked up the pace, and this trend is slated to continue in the years to come. Food and agribusiness is an important industry that affects everyone and is also considered vital economic driver. India’s economy primarily depends on the food and agricultural sectors. Since agriculture makes up a large portion of India’s GDP, students would be wise to opt for agribusiness management in India.
Food and agribusiness education has gained traction and is getting due attention in recent years. It is thus an opportune time to explore and grab opportunities in various fields, including MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management, Food Marketing Economics, Food Technology & Processing, and Post-Harvest Management, among others. As part of these programs, students are prepared for various vocations, including those in the food and fiber sectors, education, agro-business groups, research centers, and retail food businesses.
What is an MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management?
The term agribusiness combines agriculture with business and covers research, development, and training on the food spectrum of production, safety, and security. In addition, it engulfs the impact of various food on cultures, the environment, and the economy. MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management includes crop production, distribution, seed supply, farm machinery, fruit production, breeding, agriculture, retail, sales, and marketing. This field also explains the relationship between demand and supply of different agricultural production yields and food consumption along with food and non-food agro-processing industries thriving today.
Why Agribusiness Management?
While the fundamentals of doing any MBA will remain the same, what makes Food and Agribusiness management a unique and worthwhile specialization is its immense growth potential. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry, horticulture, and fishing account for 13.9% of the GDP and continue to be the linchpin of the Indian economy. As the industry gains momentum, so will your career trajectory. Hence entering this industry early will give you some of the best opportunities that will dictate the terms for a bright and secure future.Â
The other benefit is Food and Agribusiness is a specialized concentration that is still unknown by many; hence the industry has a shortage of professionals, making it the right time to get an MBA degree in the field. This is an industry where, with timely growth, the numbers are sure to improve only in terms of salary and other benefits.Â
The industry comes with its challenges and problems. As a trained professional, your problem-solving skills are put to great use. However, even the challenges faced daily in and out of a food and agribusiness unit are unique. Hence this plays a role in helping you realize your true potential.
What is the Scope of an MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management?
Agribusiness is the new future, a multi-disciplinary field that gives ample opportunities in sales, management, research, production, etc. A qualified workforce is required to enter this unorganized sector and take over, making this sector unique and worth studying. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, projected agriculture and food scientists’ jobs are expected to grow 9% between 2020-2030*.
An MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management is an extensively tailored program that forms a strong base and foundation to enter the industry well-acquainted. It is increasing and poses numerous career options. The MBA in Agri-Business Management Scope is not only limited to India but also has its wings spread with opportunities in other parts of Asia and Africa. With the population rising, the scope is brighter than ever and will not likely diminish soon. With digitalization and industrialization spanning the country, traditional means of farming, processing, and other agriculture practices, will soon be replaced by modern and electronic means. As a result, the industry will need skilled and professionally trained food and agribusiness executives to take care of the various operational and management roles in the field.
What are the Objectives of Agribusiness?
Unlike most other Post Graduation programs, MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management will not only prepare you to be a mid-level manager or a team leader, but it will also go beyond. It will help those who want to develop a successful career in the field with associated opportunities in agriculture, land management, input supply, commodity assembly, and allied sectors.
The focus of this program at Prestige University aims to give interested students exposure to both micro and macro environmental factors, along with equipping them with current trends, technologies, and market tools. An MBA in Agribusiness will help you assess the market imperfections, find fixes, and ultimately develop competencies to cope with the complexity and dynamism faced in today’s agriculture market. Regular guest lectures and workshops led by industry experts, hands-on internships, and a cross-disciplinary approach to management and agrifood science will bring together high-achieving students from diverse academic backgrounds.
What is the Eligibility for an MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management?
To be eligible for this MBA program, you need to have a bachelor’s degree with a minimum score of 55% in any discipline from a renowned university. You can also have a bachelor’s degree in agriculture, Forestry, Fishery, Horticulture, Food Technology, Plant Sciences, Biotechnology, etc. Suppose you plan to opt for specialized courses, for example, Commodity Management. In that particular case, you also need a Bachelor’s Degree with 55% marks or equivalent in Agriculture Science, Economics, Food Science, or Horticulture.
If you are more inclined towards a specialization in Horticulture or Farm Management, you need to have a Bachelor’s Degree with 55% marks or equivalent in Forestry, Botany, and Agriculture. For admission, you must brace yourself for national-level competitive exams, such as CAT, MAT, CMAT, etc. The final evaluation also depends on specific personal assessments such as interviews, group discussions, case study analyses, etc.
What is the Syllabus for an MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management?
As part of the program, you will thoroughly understand the foundational principles of food and agribusiness management. Along with the core MBA courses such as Managerial Accounting, Financial and Human Resource Management, Marketing Practices, Business Ethics, and Leadership, etc., you have specific optional concentrations such as:
- Food Retail Management,
- Dairy Products and Management,
- Agri- Supply Chain and Logistics,
- Poultry Management,
- Animal Health Management,
- Commodity Management,
- Irrigation and Farm Machinery Management,
- Food Value Chain & Performance
- Supply Chain in Agriculture
- B2C Food Marketing
- Agribusiness, Strategy & Leadership, and
- Food Innovation & Design Thinking
What Are the Career Options in Agribusiness Management?
The agriculture sector has seen remarkable growth in the last few years, with several government and private sector initiatives mushrooming. This, along with the evolving global norms such as the WTO rulings and enhanced global competitiveness, calls for a dire need for professional programs in Agribusiness Management, making it one of the most exciting and challenging sectors in 2023, either as a professional or entrepreneur. Food and agribusiness jobs are thus a possible solution to this growing need for professionals who can participate, contribute to and engineer the agribusiness revolution. Undertaking an Agribusiness management education, you can expect to have doors opened to a lot of opportunities. A few of them are:
- Agricultural Economist
- Field Officer
- Farm Manager
- Product Manager
- Nutrition division manager
- Market researcher
- Commodity consultant
- Sales and Marketing Coordinator
- Risk Analyst
- Agricultural Manager
The insights and experience you gain from leading global agribusinesses throughout the program at Prestige University will qualify you for a range of positions and industries, and several government jobs, such as:
- Research Associate
- Farm Technician
- Agriculture Field Officer
- Research Scientist
The fields span across a wide range as well; you can expect to be placed under the following fields post an MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management:
- Food processing companies
- Rural banking business
- Dairy products manufacturer
- Import-export firms
- Agribusiness financing or trading companies
- Farming technology companies
- Fertilizer and crop protection companies
What is the Salary for an MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management in India?
The pay scale depends on many factors; it matters the university from where you choose to study, the experience in terms of practical exposure through projects and internships, the area of specialization you choose, etc. It draws on the strength of food and agriculture to provide an experience that elevates students’ career potential in an industry that affects every human being. While an Agribusiness Manager can earn between 5-10 Lac per annum, this also varies in terms of the industry and job title. The average salary one can expect nearly around 5.5 lac per annum.
What is the Learning Outcome of a Post Graduate program in Agribusiness?
The Agribusiness program will not only help you build solid managerial foundations such as critical decision-making, teamwork, corporate communication, etc. but will also be beneficial in imparting an understanding of emerging food and agriculture perspectives, agribusiness supply chain and logistics, rural sector lending, and banking, etc. among others.
At Prestige University, you’ll gain the tools and concepts to design innovative solutions for challenges faced by companies in food and agribusiness. You also learn to oversee all aspects of agribusiness operations and how to market food products. The industry-oriented content, case-based learning, regular practicals, and internship programs are some of the main highlights of the program. This fascinating program brings students from all over the country and focuses on scalability and sustainability.
Prestige University is one of the pioneers in food and agriculture research. You can take advantage of the thriving food and agribusiness environment and develop an understanding of the varied possibilities in the food sector from farm to fork. As a student, you will learn both within the classroom walls from leading faculty and outside it by brainstorming and engaging with the dynamic local ecosystem. With world-class global food and beverage companies and intriguing startups attempting to alter how we grow and consume food, the university provides many prospects to aspirants. In addition, you also get to explore and liaison with a wide range of companies that directly impact the landscape of food and agribusiness.
Prestige University also provides unique opportunities for students of MBA in Food & Agribusiness Management not just to acquaint themselves with the business of food but also to build connections with their research peers in the field. So whether you’re looking to advance your career or pivot to new opportunities, this program can help you get there!
