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Agribusiness Technicians

Education and Training Requirements

High School

In high school, you should take social studies, laboratory science (biology, chemistry, and physics), mathematics, and, if possible, agriculture, marketing, and business classes. English and composition will be particularly helpful since oral and written communications are central to the work of the agribusiness technician. Also, take computer science classes to familiarize yourself with this technology. Computers are often used in record-keeping and production planning.

Postsecondary Training

After completing high school, training in a two-year agricultural or technical college is necessary. Many colleges offer associate's degrees in agribusiness or agricultural management. The programs concentrate on basic economic theory, management analysis, practical problem solving, and intensive communication training, such as public speaking and report writing.

Typical first-year courses in an agricultural or technical college include English, biology, health and physical education, introductory animal husbandry, accounting principles, agricultural economics, microbiology, botany, introductory data processing, soil science, and business principles.

Typical second-year courses include marketing agricultural commodities, farm management, social science, agricultural finance, agricultural marketing institutions, forage and seed crops, personnel management, and agricultural records and taxation.

Other Education or Training

The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association offers continuing education sessions at its annual meeting. Recent topics have included household food waste trends, the use of machine learning and big data, climate change, biofuels, land use and water resource issues, and business economics. Contact the association for more information.