About Agricultural Engineer
Agricultural engineers are those professionals who develop and design new processes, systems and equipment for agricultural products and operations. Basically, agricultural engineers are required to go for field visits so that they can observe/ examine whether the tools or processes are working properly or not. Agricultural engineering is a combination of principles of engineering and biological sciences. It is also known as biological engineering. It combines other areas such as animal biology, plant biology, mechanical engineering, civil engineering and chemical engineering. The key role of agricultural engineers is to improve agricultural production through better engineering methods, inventions, technology and equipment for which there is a desire to make a good intellectual and future difference in farming. Also, they are involved in improving the agricultural farm machinery, farm structures, rural electrification, bio-gas, new technologies in the design and manufacture of agricultural products. Agricultural engineers have opportunities for bright career, especially in India.
Eligibility to become Agricultural Engineer
Students who wish to become agricultural engineers must take science stream in class XII. After completing class XII with compulsory subjects of physics, chemistry, mathematics and preferably Biology, students can take up B.Tech/ B.E. course in Agricultural Engineering. After this, students can take up M.Tech or Diploma in agricultural engineering for higher level jobs or research positions. The admission to the most of engineering colleges/ institutes/ universities is done on the basis of marks secured in the entrance examination organised by the concerned authority.
Subject Combination – Students must have a Science stream in Class 12 with the mandatory subjects Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM)and preferably Biology (PCB).
Entrance Exams –
For Undergraduate Level: JEE Main, GUJCET, AP EAMCET, CG PAT, ICAR-AIEEA UG, BCECE, GBPUAT, CET GADVASU, AIEEE, KCET, SEE UPTU, etc.
For Postgraduate Level: ICAR-AIEEA PG, GATE, etc.
Eligibility -
Undergraduate Level:
- Candidates should have passed class 12 examination or equivalent with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics (PCM) and preferably Biology (PCB) as compulsory from a recognised university/board.
- The percentage requirement is 50% and above for most of the Universities/ institutions/colleges. There is a 5% relaxation for reserved categories (OBC / SC / ST and PWD’s) students.
- There are also age limit criteria in some colleges/ universities.
Diploma:
- Eligibility for diploma courses in agricultural engineering is 10+2 and these courses can be done through polytechnics.
Postgraduate Level:
- Candidates must have B.Tech/B.E. degree in Agriculture/ Horticulture or its equivalent from recognized by the universities/institution.
- Candidates with M.Tech in Agriculture can go for the 3 years Ph.D. course.
Note: The Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) offers Postgraduate Diploma in Agribusiness Management.
Types of Job Roles Agricultural Engineer
After obtaining the required educational qualification and skills to become an agricultural engineer, there are varieties of job profiles available in this field that you can target based on your interest. The following are some of the job profiles available in the field of agricultural engineering:
Agricultural Engineer: The key role of an agricultural engineer is to design agricultural machinery components and tools, using computer-aided design (CAD) technology. Also, they test agricultural machinery and equipment to ensure that they perform properly and design food-processing plants and monitor manufacturing operations.
Agricultural Inspector: The responsibility of agricultural inspectors is to ensure that businesses comply with federal and state laws and regulations that control the health, quality, and safety of meat, poultry, egg products, fruits, and vegetables. They also inspect food- and meat-processing plants to ensure that the facilities meet quality standards.
Agricultural Specialist: The agricultural specialist is a special type of Border Protection (CBP) officer who is in charge of knowing and implementing rules and regulations of transferring various agricultural commodities in borders.
Farm Shop Manager: The role of the farm (agricultural) shop manager is to make a plan for finance and production to maintain farm progress against budget standards and to make practical activities, such as driving tractors, operating machinery, feeding livestock or spraying fields. They are also responsible for the repair of farm buildings, machinery and equipment.
Food and Beverage Supervisor: They are usually responsible for all business operations of a dining establishment. Their duty generally includes interviews, recruitment, training, scheduling and managing of the staff, as well as monitoring the list of food and beverage, supplies and other restaurant equipment.
Survey Research Agricultural Engineer: They are responsible for assessing the environmental impact of agricultural production methods and supervising construction projects such as land drainage, reclamation and irrigation and solving engineering problems such designing vehicles to move in different weather conditions.
Agronomist: An agronomist deals with the science of utilizing plants for food, fuel, feed and fiber. They are specializing in areas such as crop rotation, irrigation & drainage, planet breeding, soil science, weed control & disease & pest control.
Employment Opportunities for Agricultural Engineer
The employment opportunities in this area are challenging and very interesting. This field is suitable for those who are interested in agriculture. There is a lot of potential for agricultural engineers, they can work as technical experts on engineering projects in banks and financial corporations. After becoming an engineer they can also establish their own small unit or consultancy. There is a good scope for getting employment opportunities in the government and private sector. Agricultural Engineers are required in the following sectors:
- Non-government voluntary organisations
- NC Department of Transportation
- NC Department of Agriculture
- Departments of Agricultural Engineering
- Tea gardens
- Farming Industry Consultants
- Area development projects
- Agricultural machinery manufacturing organizations
- Dairy, food, agro industries
- Agricultural finance corporations
- Processing agricultural products
- Minor irrigation projects
- Agricultural Universities
- Consultancies
- Manufacturing agricultural implements
- Recruiting Companies
- Water management
Top Recruiting Organisations/Companies for Agricultural Engineers
Take a look at these organisations/ companies which hire Agricultural Engineers:
- Mother Dairy
- Amul Dairy
- ITC
- Nestle India
- NABARD
- Agricultural Commodities Processors
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research
- PRADAN
- Food Corporation of India
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
- National Seeds Corporation
- National Dairy Development Board
Pay Scale/Salary of Agricultural Engineer
Agricultural Engineers in diverse sectors earn a satisfactory salary. Most companies/ organisations pay more for highly skilled and experienced agricultural engineers. The salary of an agricultural engineer may differ according to their knowledge, skills and experience. The average salary structure of agricultural engineers is detailed below.
|
Job Profile |
Starting Salary per annum (in INR) |
Mid Level Salary per annum (in INR) |
Senior Level Salary per annum (INR) |
|
Agricultural Engineer |
2,39,808 |
5,50,000 |
11,40,000 |
|
Agricultural Inspector |
2,94,791 |
5,81,748 |
12,20,838 |
|
Farm Shop Manager |
1,01460 |
4,71,665 |
8,28,514 |
|
Food And Beverage Supervisor |
1,74,181 |
2,40,644 |
4,15,365 |
|
Survey Research Agricultural Engineer |
2,44,493 |
6,64,431 |
15,34,082 |
Note: The above figures are an estimate and may vary from individual to individual and company to company.
Books & Study Material to Become Agricultural Engineer
In order to pursue a career as an agricultural engineer, one must take engineering entrance exams in India. To take these entrance exams, it requires a great deal of preparation and books are the best sources to cover the syllabus. Therefore, we've compiled a list of some of the best books that you must examine to crack engineering entrance exams in India.
Best Books for Undergraduate Level:
Physics
- Problems in Physics by I.E Irodov
- Concept Of Physics by H.C Verma
- Fundamentals of Physics by Resnik Halliday
- Arihant Series by D.C Pandey
Mathematics
- Higher Algebra by Hall & Knight
- Arihant Series by Amit M Agarwal, S.K Goyal, S.L.Loney
- Problems of Calculus in One Variable by I.A Maron
Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry by J.D Lee
- Organic Chemistry by Morrison Boyd & Bhattacharjee
- Physical Chemistry by P. Bahadur or by Peter Atkins
Biology:
- GR Bathla publications for Biology
- NCERT Biology Class XI and Class XII textbooks
- Pradeep Guide on Biology
- Biology Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Trueman
- Objective Botany by Ansari
- Objective Biology by Dinesh
Note: NCERT & NCERT Exemplar is a must, especially for Physics and Chemistry.
Best Books for Postgraduate Level:
- Concept of Agricultural Engineering by Mohanty Das
- Soil & Water Conservation by VVN Murty
- Farm Machinery
- Other important textbooks and objectives books
- Handbook of Agril Engg. by ICAR publications
- Non-Conventional Sources of Energy by G.D. Rai (for renewable energy)
- Principles of Agricultural Engineering Volume I & II by T.P. Ojha & A.M. Michel
- Objectives for Agril Engg by Garg and Pitam Chandra
- Any basic book of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Science
- Objectives for Agril Engg by Rawat and Nikhade
Pros of becoming a Agricultural Engineer
- Abundant job opportunities worldwide.
- Permanent jobs with fixed working hours and salary.
- A career in agricultural engineer has great earning potential and rate of growth.
Cons of becoming a Agricultural Engineer
- The work can be stressful, especially when the equipment or structure has the potential to impact human life.
- Excessive working hours to complete the work within the stipulated deadline.
- The salaries are average.