Sorry Shep, but farming is now a research-based, high-tech world, says Nick Wyke

Most people think of farming when they picture a career in agriculture. But one of the world’s biggest industries offers a rich diversity of more than 200 challenging roles from environmental science to mechanical engineering.

The traditional image of Britain’s farming brigade is of straw-chewing, green-wellied bumpkins, while a recent TV advert for Yeo Valley depicts young, cool rappers draped over shiny tractors. Of course the reality of life on a farm is far removed from either vision — long hours, European regulation and highly competitive markets are all part of the daily grind.

“Public perception of the industry is based on old-fashioned stereotypes and unfortunately our marketing campaigns have not done much to change this,” says Ian Beecher-Jones, a specialist agricultural consultant.

Alastair Johnston, agriculture partnership manager for Lantra, the UK’s sector skills council for land-based and environmental industries, agrees: “It is true that the agriculture industry is not well advertised, which is a shame because it’s actually a forward thinking, scientific, research based industry,” he says.

Given the magnitude of problems facing the world, agriculture cannot afford to be anything other than a cutting-edge industry. It lies at the core of our future. By 2050 there will be about 9.2 billion people on the planet who will need feeding, according to the latest United Nations’ prediction. Against a backdrop of population growth, increased urban migration and climate change we require answers to big questions. Most importantly: how do we use less land and water to produce more food?

“The agricultural sector is probably entering its most exciting phase in 40 years because of the huge challenges that it faces,” says Beecher-Jones, who is using satellite technology to improve the use of soils.

As a result the range of skills required across the agriculture sector is evolving rapidly. Scientists are needed to develop new plant types, environmentalists to manage dwindling resources and business people to drive food production and distribute its harvest in global markets.

The latest figures from Lantra indicate that the industry is seeking an additional 34,000 graduates by 2020. Graduates tend to specialise, finding jobs in areas such as land management, environmental science and genetics. In particular, the industry needs technical experts who understand resource management. These qualifications are often transferable within Europe and beyond.

“A career in agriculture is a passport to the world,” Beecher-Jones says.

Technology, too, is transforming the role of the traditional farmer. “There has been a huge increase in robotic milking and data analysis,” Johnston says. “Farmers have laptops in their fields and precision GPS-controlled tractors as well as agri-apps on their smartphones that show the latest market prices or identify a plant using photo-recognition technology.”

Recent European legislation now means that every new lamb in the UK has to have an electronic ear tag. “It’s no longer a crook and dog job,” Johnston says. “To survive, agriculture has to become an IT industry. There is a great opportunity for graduates to enter the industry now and help out the older guard.”

Peter Green, a senior lecturer in radio systems research at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Manchester, has seen “phenomenal advances” in what he calls “e-agriculture” in recent years. He oversees research students who intersect across multiple disciplines, including biochemistry and engineering, to develop technology that supports farming practices.

“There is lots happening and ample potential to enable sizeable changes in the industry,” Green says. “If we can’t increase crop yields by about 2030 we’ll be stuffed.” His projects include developing intelligent wireless sensors that can detect pathogens and moisture in soil and using smart radio-frequency identification tags to improve supply chain management.

Whatever role a graduate takes in agriculture there are still plenty of chances to work outside and utilise skills in a rural setting. Despite global pressures and technological advances, this remains one of the attractions of this sector.

As the farmer and TV star Jimmy Doherty sums up: “The experience of farming is often unsentimental and rarely a rural idyll but it sure beats urban commuting and office work for some people.”