Agricultural Engineer

Job overview
Agricultural engineers apply the engineering principles of science and technology, to agricultural problems. Normally they will have a good knowledge of agriculture, too.

What do people do in this job?
Agricultural engineers manage living things and life-giving resources, in such a way as to protect and preserve them by using mechanical, civil and electronic engineering skills to design equipment and buildings which can process those resources more productively, and at the same time ensure their sustainability.

Agricultural engineering is a challenging and rewarding career, where logic and practical thinking need to be combined with inventiveness and innovation.

The profession is much wider than traditional perceptions of agriculture. Agricultural engineers work often takes them far beyond the farm boundary, into water resource management, forestry, mining, food processing, rural development and machine development and manufacturing.

What kinds of people are suitable for this job?
Prospective agricultural engineers should be proficient in Mathematics and Physical Science since the application of these is important to all engineers.

They must also work well with people, be creative, have an analytical mind and a capacity for detail.

They should have a keen interest in agricultural activities and recognise the challenge of improving agricultural production by means of better engineering methods and equipment.

What qualifications are needed?
A degree in agricultural engineering is essential. With this, a person is presented with a wide range of options in management, development, design, consulting, research, testing, planning, teaching and counselling.

He/she may work as a specialist in private consultancies, large corporations and government and non-government organisations, or may become the engineering manager of a large farm or estate.

In addition an industry such as the sugar industry or a consulting agricultural engineering firm could provide an opening.