An Agricultural Engineer helps the farmer decide which type of grain or crop is best suited to the soil on the farm. He also intervenes to give advice in the event of viruses detected in trees or other detected problems.
An Agricultural Engineer helps the farmer decide which type of grain or crop is best suited to the soil on the farm. He also intervenes to give advice in the event of viruses detected in trees or other detected problems.
An agricultural engineer can be an engineer or a researcher. In industry, he will participate in the design of new products like a new variety of more juicy and resistant tomatoes.
The skills of the agricultural engineer are varied, they range from assistance in the design of an agricultural machine to the search for a remedy for pathologies contracted by a cereal. Its expertise lies at the junction between agronomic engineering, animal and plant biology, and biotechnologies.
Mission of the agricultural engineer
Depending on the area of expertise, an agricultural engineer can work at all stages of the agricultural production chain, whether it is the creation of non-polluting agricultural equipment, research to strengthen the resistance of a plant species or to select plant productions. His knowledge is essential from the design stage to the sale of the product. An agricultural engineer’s responsibilities include:
- Ensures the improvement of soil production techniques, taking into account their nature and characteristics.
- Contribute to design of a product or service.
- Perform regular checks on the product after reaching market.
- Also works in the field (directly with farmers) or with a chamber of agriculture (in the laboratory).
The term “agricultural engineer” covers a wide range of fields and specializations.
Qualities Required To Become An Agricultural Engineer
One of the main qualities of an agricultural engineer is his versatility. This function thus requires that he be a scientist, admittedly specialized, but also capable of redeploying knowledge in substantially dissimilar fields, namely agri-food, viticulture, agro environment, animal and plant biology.
Although devoted to research and scientific progress, the agronomist must also have ease in terms of project management and direction. Outstanding communicator, he knows how to skillfully coordinate and supervise a team. His additional skills in the field of accounting management will enable him to carry out the projects that will be submitted to him, in particular by drawing up specifications or evaluating the feasibility of a program.
Necessary training to become an agricultural engineer
To become an agronomist, it is advisable to go through a general Bac and more particularly a Bac S (scientific). It would then be necessary to continue in an engineering school, generally accessible by competitive examination after a Bac +2 type preparatory classes, fourth semester of license, BTS / DUT. Finally, finish with a third university cycle such as a research master’s or professional master’s.
The most prominent agricultural training institutions on the continent are among others:
- The University of Sine Saloum El Hadj Ibrahima NIASS in Senegal,
- The Higher School of Agronomy of the National Polytechnic Institute Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Côte d’ Ivoire,
- Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco,
- University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa,
- African University in Zimbabwe,
- University of Ghana,
- University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia,
- L ” Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya,
- Federal University of Agriculture in Abeokuta in Nigeria,
- Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania
Opportunity for development of an agricultural
Agricultural engineers can quickly be promoted to director project manager or general manager in an SME or in a private laboratory.
The monthly salary of an agricultural engineer is approximately between 94,000 to 267,000 CFA per month according to the site “your salary“.
Source: Student today, Orientation, Imagine your future
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