Crop Protection and Animal Health

Job overview
The development, manufacture and marketing of animal health products and crop protection products? (pest-killers, and weed- and disease- eradicators?) ?are the central concerns of the crop protection and animal health industry

What do people do in this industry?
Sales representatives:- whose main objective is to increase their company's sales, give to farmers' up-to-date information on their products and their use, as well as basic information on farming, crops and animals.

Technical/research officers:- are concerned with the development of new products. ?They cover the entire process, from needs assessment and development to the registration of the product.

They study the effects of the product and continually try to improve it.

They do laboratory as well as field work and can specialise in fields such as entomology or plant pathology.

Technical services officers:- present the technical advantages of the company's products to customers, working closely with government research institutes and company sales, marketing and research officers.

They help to prepare promotional material and scientific data and are often the link between the researchers and the sales personnel.

Production/laboratory technicians:- compound and formulate crop protection and animal health products, according to laid-down procedures and methods.

They conduct experiments to develop, manufacture and improve the formulation of products.

What kinds of people are suitable for these jobs?
For the company representatives who promote the products to the agricultural community, good communication skills are very important, but they must also have a sound knowledge of those products.

The research officers and laboratory technicians must, of course have a much deeper knowledge of the products and their possibilities for development.

What qualifications are needed?
A school science background and preferably farming experience applies to all of the jobs, but for the research jobs tertiary qualifications, particularly in chemistry and/or biochemistry are needed.

Technical/research officers will probably have a university degree or even postgraduate qualifications in relevant specialisations.