Agricultural Business

The Agricultural-Business major is designed for students interested in working in the area of agricultural-related businesses. Students selecting this specialization meet all the basic requirements for a degree in Agricultural Business and, in addition, select those courses in Business Administration which will prepare them for a career in the rapidly expanding fields of various combinations of agriculture and business related industries.

Career opportunities in agricultural business may include: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, ranches, banks, agricultural credit associations, insurance companies, consulting firms, and agricultural product distribution and sales.

Program Description: Business management is business management. The fundamental principles are the same, regardless of the product or service being produced or marketed. Identical skills apply equally to the family farm as to the multi-national corporation.

However, there are a few things that make Agricultural Business (Agri-business) unique. For example, the agricultural business manager is often dealing with a perishable product that is produced seasonally. Therefore, it is much easier for the manager with a background in agriculture to transition to some other field of business than it is for someone without that background to transition into agri-business.

In addition to the fundamentals of the agricultural sciences, the agri-business student at Sul Ross State University receives a basic grounding in macro and micro-economic theory with a world view. However, his/her preparation does not stop there. The program also provides the tools necessary to apply this theory to the management of the modern agri-business.

Employment opportunities in Agri-business are virtually unlimited—probably more so than in any other field of business. The general perception of agriculture (that it is confined strictly to the family farm) is inaccurate. Statistics show that it takes at least 16 people to keep one farmer in business. This includes such activities as the production and marketing of everything from petroleum products to feeds, seeds, fertilizers, equipment and machinery and on and on. Viewed from this perspective “Agri” business is indeed the largest industry in the world.

Graduates of the Sul Ross Agri-business program are currently employed in production and processing management, personnel management, marketing and sales, banking and credit, real estate, insurance, accounting and financial management, stock and commodity brokerage and many other fields. Some have returned to the family farm or ranch and some have founded their own successful businesses.