Farm Work
Agriculture is one of those fields, which is counted amongst one of our basic amenities for sustaining the livelihood. Cultivation and farming of land, plants, crops, animals, etc. falls under the category of agriculture. It is one of the most important elements in the human life cycle without which that cycle is incomplete. There are different types of agriculture, for instance, industrial agriculture, organic farming, animal husbandry, horticulture, sustainable agriculture, urban agriculture, etc. However, it can also be related to the environmental section. Taking into account the way our nature, over the years has been paying the huge price for being the victim of human harshness, this field of agriculture can also be suitable for those who want to make this earth a better place to live in. It is an essential sector for being a major contributor in building a nation's economy.
Agriculture is a vast field. The workers are required to be efficient, apt, physically fit and hardworking. Following are a few significant points to mark:
- Agricultural workers play an important role in harvesting the crop (food/plant). After many steps of processing, they eventually sell the product in the market
- Animal husbandry is considered as productive as the crop farming. The worker's duties vary from taking care of the animals to feeding, grazing, herding, provide them with necessary vaccinations and medications
- There are various agricultural equipments like tractors, conveyor belts, separators, fertilizer spreaders, etc., which are used. For operating these, a worker should also be able to deal with minor repairing and maintenance of equipments
- The work conditions may vary dramatically for the workers. It is tough, as one may not find the comfort of relaxing and accessing the basic facilities like a canteen or a restroom at work
Some of the other job responsibilities of a farm worker are as follows:
- Another important factor to be taken into consideration in agriculture is, there are many crops, which are seasonal in nature. At this point of time, the frequency of work reduces which results in low income for some farmers. In search of work, these workers might have to migrate along with their families to some other region, which leads to an unstable lifestyle
- Comparatively, a greenhouse worker enjoys much of the benefits of work environment, as they are not required to spend time working out in the sun
- While working, a farmer is usually exposed to pesticides and insecticides. If necessary precautions are not taken into account then they may have to go through lifelong sickness and unemployment
Once you have gone through the few work conditions of the agriculture industry, the next question, which arises, is that of job opportunities and the training. We would also like to throw some light on the employment front:
- A greater percentage of the agricultural workers gets trained while working on field and without any professional degree
- Certain specialized area in the agriculture sector needs professional training of a month or so. For example, animal breeding
- In this sector, experience and first hand exposure is given more preference than any kind of degrees. If you have the skills, then you are a cut above the rest
- As we have mentioned before, agriculture is a vast field and there are various steps involved in farming. Once a crop or a product is ready, it will be beneficial for the farmer if he also has marketing skills required for selling the product
- There are some reputed courses offered in agriculture. This provides you the option of becoming an agriculture scientist, engineer or a specialist.
Employment opportunities are as plenty as you can think. It is a very challenging field, as it requires not only the specific skills but also a great deal of physical fitness. Nevertheless, you must be motivated and have the zest to do something in this field otherwise; it might get difficult for one to live up to the demands of the work. Government has proposed some new schemes and facilities for the farmers, which has been envisioned for raising the income and for fulfilling all the other needs of a farmer. It is a kind of industry, which is evolving day by day, and on its way of opening innumerable openings for the enthusiasts of agriculture.
