Dr. Dinesh T. Bhosale
Regional Sales Director, AB Vista South Asia, Pune
Introduction
Recently I read article by Chetan Bhagatin Economic times (9 June 2019) about “How to solve India’s job crisis in three easy steps”. He says thatIndia’s jobs crisis is, ironically, worst among urban and educated youth, something you would imagine would be an advantage in the job market. If we as Indians want to solve this crisis, we need a new collective goal. Let’s call this goal GDP10, or growing the economy at 10%. if we do achieve this mammoth goal we won’t just solve the unemployment problem. GDP10 will also create a lot of other benefits. These include a higher standard of living and per capita income for Indians; more government revenues that can be used for various welfare schemes; rise in savings and investments; higher FDI inflows and increased clout for India on the world stage.
He also says that to grow our GDP much faster than at present, a massive investment in agroindustry is needed to add value to agricultural produce. While we can become a manufacturing hub by importing raw materials and exporting products, there is nothing like using the raw material widely available in India – agricultural produce. The problem is we don’t add enough value to this produce. Wine made from grapes sells for a lot more than the grapes themselves. Fine cheese sells for multiples more than the milk itself. Yet, why is Swiss cheese considered the best in the world? I can understand if we cannot make the best warplanes or telecom equipment. But cheese, seriously? We can’t make the world’s best cheese? Or jams? Or organic superfoods that have become a revolution worldwide? Great agro-industry needs excellent quality, world-class packaging and of course the right marketing. All this does need an infrastructure. However, it also needs a mindset. That we are growing gold in this country, we just don’t know how to polish and sell it. We live with mediocrity, and that’s just not good enough for agri-produce on the world stage. Impact of this on GDP growth: 1-2% plus.
He also wrote that “Tell your parents not to spend a massive amount on your wedding. No matter how amazing the wedding party, people will either forget it or your relatives will get jealous. Instead, consider using that money as capital for a new startup business venture.”
The most important challenge is availability of trained manpower to lead and run livestock sector. Our Prime Minister formed several committees to run Government effectively. It also includes committee on employment and skill development and details are as above.
Today before you sleep, you should ask question to yourself? Why did you take veterinary degree and what you want to do next? If you are looking for salaried job – then you have an option of Government and private jobs.
Following are the opportunities for Government job:
- Prepare for competitive exams and become IAS, IPS, etc.
- Animal Husbandry Department in your state or other states.
- Banks like NABARD and others
- ICAR scientist or research associates in various projects
- Assistant professors in veterinary colleges and affiliated lower education colleges
- RVC
- DRDO
- And many more.
Following are the opportunities in private sector:
- Poultry sector
- Dairy sector
- Aquaculture sector
- Animal feed sector
- Animal feed additives and animal health sector
- Pets practice
- Equine practice
- Small ruminants
- Meat processing sector
- And many more.
If you want to go abroad, similar options are available there also.
For joining in private sector, it’s better to have Masters/PhD degree and other degrees like MBA.
Master’s degree in following subjects will be always beneficial:
- Animal Nutrition
- Poultry Science
- LPM
- LPT
- Pathology, Virology, Immunology, bacteriology
- Genetics and Breeding
- Extension
- Pharmacology
- Etc.
In addition to these hard skills, you also need soft skills like:
- English fluency
- Computer fluency
- People management
- Innovativeness
- Strategic thinking
- Foreign Languages
- Presentation skills
- Communication skills
- Writing skills
- Social awareness
- Hobbies development
- And many more.
Instead of looking for job, you can become entrepreneur and give jobs to others. You will be hero in eyes of our Prime Minister. Government and private venture capital funds companies are looking for innovative startups. Various ICAR Institutes have started agribusiness incubation centres. I am mentoring few of following startup companies who are working in livestock sector.
- Zoofresh
- Villgro Foundation
- Savigen Innovation
- Humpy A2 milk
- 10 plus digital
- Saro Farm natural
- Delmos
- AgVerse
- Omnivore Capital
- Indigram
As a vet, you can also start you own poultry or dairy farm. You can start selling animal feed and animal feed additives also. Many people took goat farm training, but very few commercial goat farms are started. Major bottleneck for goat or dairy farm is sourcing of good quality animals. You can set up your breeding farm and sell animals to farmers. There is great demand for desi or improved poultry birds and eggs. You can also think of starting breeding farm to supply them. Farmers are good at production but they are not good in marketing of their products. As a vet, you can always set up your supply chain company to link farmers directly with consumers in urban and rural areas. Farmers don’t get right price and consumers don’t get right product due to weak supply chain. As a vet, I will encourage you to learn about all state and central government funded schemes for farmers and industry to boost growth of livestock sector. UP Government designed successful scheme to start layer farms and dairy farms. Layer industry is also growing in Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and NE states. There is need of second white revolution in this area. There will be blue revolution also in this part of India. We should produce and export good quality products. Look at APEDA website to know what we have exported during last five years. Pl look at NDDB and NFDB websites to know more about what Government is trying to do for fish and dairy farmers, respectively. Pl look at food processing ministry’s website to see how processing of livestock products can be encouraged in coming years. Government wants to double farmers’ income by 2022 and animal husbandry sector will play important role in it. I will also encourage students to look at websites of companies like Godrej Agrovet, Suguna, Venkys, Avanti Feeds, CP, Cargill, AMUL Dairy and many more. I will encourage students to go for MBA in agribusiness from IIMA, MANAGE and others. Very few vet students go there. Pl read important management books which will help you to shape your thoughts and working style. Time Management skills are very important to become successful. Let’s form small groups among students as per interest and dive deep in subject what you want to do. Have you heard name of Seth Godin? He is Guru of Marketing. YouTube is best source to get knowledge about our sector. Please join NAAPI (Network of Animal Agriculture Professionals of India) on facebook. Communication and networking are two keys to open the lock of your bright future.
Farmers are asking for new technologies. Labour problem paves way for more mechanization and automation at farm level. Smart mobile phone gives a new tool to us to reach farmers with more information. Audiovisual books will be better than hard copies, as we have lost habit of reading. I always say “Sky is not the Limit!”