The agricultural industry has been evolving throughout the years, and no longer consists of primarily manual farming. However, despite the innovations in precision agriculture, robotics, artificial intelligence, and more - many still think of agriculture as limited to livestock and animal farming. Whilst this is still a major part of agriculture, the industry now consists of more than just farming jobs. In addition to positions in business, finance, and engineering, there is an increasing number of agricultural jobs available in sub-fields we haven’t seen before, including agricultural robots, agritech, and agricultural conservation and sustainability.
With so many new jobs in agriculture, there’s something available for everyone. Even if you aren’t interested in farming or services that directly aids farmers, there are several other fields you can enter while still remaining under the agricultural umbrella. The following are some examples of the variety of new jobs in agriculture that we haven’t seen before;
Agricultural Robots
Farm robots are playing a big part in today’s agricultural landscape. In fact, the agricultural robotics market is set to reach $36.86 billion (£27.2 billion) by 2027. These robots are making agriculture more efficient and eradicating the need to spend time on repetitive tasks such as pulling weeds, spraying herbicides and pesticides, and picking fruit.
Some advanced agricultural robots are even running greenhouses, customising animal feed, and milking cows. This, in combination with robots in charge of data collection and monitoring fields, is revolutionising agriculture and creating jobs for those in the industry.
In addition to jobs in research and education, there are supervisory roles, assembly jobs, jobs in factories, warehouses, repair jobs, and many more that have come into being as a result of agricultural robots.
Agricultural Innovations
There are also many emerging fields of agriculture that we haven’t seen before, including those in blockchain technology, more advanced biologicals, agricultural drones, and vertical farming. All of these are creating new jobs as they become more popular.
In addition to creating additional jobs, they’re making agriculture more sustainable, efficient, and are maximising yield while minimising waste. From remote sensors and UAVs to satellites and minichromosomal technology, there are many emerging disciplines that are creating an increasing number of agricultural jobs.
Jobs in Precision Agriculture
Technology has become an intrinsic part of the agricultural industry and has been improving both productivity and efficiency. As a result, the precision agriculture industry is booming, with the global market expected to reach $12.84 billion (£9.48 billion) by 2026. Precision agriculture uses drones, GPS systems, autonomous vehicles, variable rate technology, automated hardware, and precision agronomics to create accurate farming techniques.
From work in computer-based applications to remote sensing technology and GPS soil sampling, there are many jobs available in the field. Popular job titles include Remote Sensing Technician, Precision Agriculture Specialist, and Precision Farming Coordinator. In addition to this, there are a number of jobs available in education, training, and research.
Alternative Animal Feed Jobs
Alternative animal feed is another emerging field within the agricultural industry. With soybean meal and fishmeal making up about 70% of production costs, one possible solution is using insects as animal feed. This comes with a number of advantages – not only is it sustainable, with insects being a natural food source for poultry and fish, but insects also have great nutritional value for poultry and can even lead to a reduction in antibiotic use and manure contamination. The alternative animal feed field is creating a number of jobs, including those in research, education, and those at insect farms.
Jobs in Agricultural Sustainability
Mechanisation and improved agricultural technology have allowed us to improve yield and efficiency. However, this has come at a cost. Topsoil degradation, water contamination, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions have all put our future at risk. As the world’s population continues to grow, we must ensure food security without further damaging the environment. This is where agricultural sustainability comes in.
Jobs in agricultural sustainability aim to meet the world’s food needs while protecting the environment from further damage and degradation. The global population will exceed 9.7 billion in 2050, and according to the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, this will require us to increase food production by 70%. There is an increasing number of jobs in sustainable agriculture that will help us achieve this. These include those focusing on making land use more effective, improving genetic diversity in crops, reducing energy use, conserving water, and preventing further environmental degradation.
Agricultural Engineering
Traditionally, jobs in agricultural engineering have involved those producing agricultural machinery, managing agricultural resources, and designing structures. However, now, we’re seeing an increasing number of agricultural engineering jobs focused on conservation and environmental protection, including those in waste management, proper utilisation of irrigation and water supply, and bioengineering.
Are You Looking for New Jobs in Agriculture?
These are only some of the many new jobs in agriculture. As the industry continues to grow and innovate, there will be even more jobs available in the agricultural sector. Therefore, you don’t have to be interested in working on farms alone to become a part of the new generation of agricultural workers – you can also work in offices and labs. Whether you’re interested in agricultural research or an emerging field like agricultural robotics, Agricultural Recruitment Specialists can help.
We’re specialists in agricultural, horticultural, and food jobs, and can help you find your dream role in the industry. With so many options out there, there’s something for everyone, and our recruitment experts can help you narrow down your choices. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been in the industry for years or are just entering it. We help the biggest brands and organisations in agriculture find the best in farming talent. Look through our job portal or use our candidate services and let our experts help you to find your dream job.
Alternatively, you may be an organisation looking for the perfect candidate for a vacancy. At Agricultural Recruitment Specialists, we work with you to find talent that can add value to your company. Whether you’re looking for a fresh graduate or a senior level executive, we can help you find the best fit required. Look through our client services and contact us here for more information or to start the process today.
