Agricultural Economist Job Description – What Are their Duties

Agriculture represents one of the major backbones of countries across the world simply because the more locals can source for their needs locally, there would be an overall increase in the GDP of such nations with further international relevance owing to their ability to provide raw materials needed both locally and within the international community.

The activities with the agricultural sectors need a team of experts to devote time in analysing data from daily economic activities in the agricultural sector for proper recommendations to appropriate authorities. 

Agricultural economists makes relevant contributions which would improve the ease of doing business in the agricultural sector while increasing the financial earnings of farmers and other stakeholders. Most times their work requires a bit of research and fieldwork to understand certain patterns that might be observed with farming.

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 Job Profile of an Agricultural Economist

An agricultural economist specializes in understanding the economic activity within agricultural markets. Their research is carried out using statistics and data about the agricultural industry to predict possible patterns and trends within the economy.

They also employ principles and concepts of economics to learn about the supply and demand of goods and services in the agricultural sector. However to function efficiently one needs to have an area of expertise such as;

  • Crop and livestock sciences
  • Environmental economics
  • Policy analysis
  • Agribusiness
  • Food safety
  • International trade
  • Marketing systems
  • Farm Credit

Depending on their area of expertise, they use data and samples used during research to make predictions that can be implemented by business owners and agricultural organisations.

Agricultural economists typically work in an office environment, although data collection sometimes might require they travel to remote areas depending on the area of interest or when meeting with clients outside the office.

Read also: Job Description for Agricultural Consultants

 Job Description for Agricultural Economists

Your day-to-day activity would include;
  • Data analysis and interpretation
  • Routine inspection visits to farms
  • Recommending policies to maximize productivity with minimum investment and maximum profit
  • Apply  business concepts to manage farms and agricultural resources.
  • Forecast market trends for farm products
  • Monitor changing trends and provide strategies according to the market’s demand
  • Writing of reports and making a detailed presentation with relevant information
  • Giving recent and relevant knowledge in the field of agriculture economics to clients
  • Attending conferences and seminars to gain more insight into new techniques.

Skills Needed for an Agricultural Economists Position

An Agricultural economist should possess some of the listed skills to fit into the position;

  • Presentation skills
  • Problem-solving and analytical skills
  • Critical thinking abilities
  • Project management skills
  • Administrative skills
  • Up-to-date knowledge of technicalities in the agricultural industry
  • Knowledge Microsoft Office tools (Excel, Word etc.)
  • IT Skills

Typical Employers of Agricultural Economists

Some of the areas you can work in as an agricultural economist include:

  • Ministry of agriculture, environmental affairs and tourism; water affairs and forestry
  • Research organisations
  • Agricultural based consulting firms
  • Farming co-operatives
  • International organisations(WHO), (UNICEF)
  • Financial houses and commercial banks
  • Insurance companies
  • As a self-employed economist consulting for different organisations

Qualification for Agricultural Economist

To become an agricultural economist, you would need to have an undergraduate degree in agricultural sciences, economics, agric engineering or agric economics. Taking a course in business administration or project management would be useful when making an advancement into management positions.

Furthermore,  relevant years of work experience especially on the field or with research should be obtained while working within different organisations.

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