Thursday, November 13, 1997

Ag major numbers growing steadily at Texas A&M

By J.T. SMITH / Abilene Reporter-News

There's never been a more exciting time to be an agriculture major at Texas A&M University.

Of the more than 43,000 students at the university, some 5,800 are agriculture majors.

Of that, female students now represent 55 percent of ag students.

"The number of ag majors actually has been growing for several years," said Wash Jones.

Jones is director of student recruitment and retention programs for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

More than 20 percent of America's workforce is employed in some phase of the agricultural industry, Jones told the November meeting of the Abilene A&M Club.

"There are seven people working in agribusiness for every farmer," Jones noted. "In fact, there are more than 8,000 job titles in agriculture."

As the Abilene Aggies munched on a great lunch at the Petroleum Club, Jones noted that agribusiness all comes together to provide the food being enjoyed -- not to mention fiber for the clothes worn.

Exciting fields of work

Agriculture uses all sorts of high technology in both crop and animal production, Jones noted.

Today, farmers are leveling fields with precision lasers to decrease soil erosion. Producers make use of robotic equipment to do dangerous or repetitive jobs.

"Agriculture needs the best and the brighest young minds working to solve tomorrow's agricultural engineering challenges," Jones said.

Artificial insemination, invitro fertilization, embryo transplants and genetic engineering are producing more uniform livestock to yield the high-quality, consistent product demanded by consumers.

Animal science fields currently are at the top of the highest-paying jobs for A&M ag graduates, Jones noted.

More jobs than qualified people

With A&M cranking out 5,800 ag majors, some might suspect an overload. Actually, there's a shortage.

"Almost 10 percent of today's professional jobs go unfilled simply because there are more jobs than people who understand agriculture," Jones reported. "And the opportunties are increasing. Many of tomorrow's careers have not yet been imagined."

The native of St. Matthes, S.C., knows that cotton -- for example -- gives an entire textile industry to the South Carolina economy. The textile business uses extremely high technology in every facet of textile item and apparel production.

Many fields of agricultural study are useful to both the production and manufacturing end.

For example, Jones noted that dairy science still trains students in dairy production -- useful to those who actually return to a modern dairy farm.

But a dairy science major also can take a dairy manufacturing option that prepares students for careers in dairy plant operations, management, field work and quality control.

Animal science majors have similar options. A production option prepares students to be ranch managers, livestock representatives, county ag agents, or employees of varied livestock-related enterprises.

On the other hand, an animal industry option for animal science majors prepares students for careers in meat packing, feed, livestock pharmaceutical industries, livestock marketing and related agricultural interests.

Some other ag majors include ag economics, agribusiness, ag development, ag science, ag systems management, entomology, genetics, horticulture, food science and technology, forestry, rangeland ecology and management.

Recreation, parks and tourism sciences also come under the Department of Agriculture and Life Sciences as does renewable natural resources. So does biochemistry.

Communication is still key

Ag journalism prepares students for careers in ag communications. A&M graduates in this field are employed by ag businesses, industries, associations, government agencies at all levels and all types of news media.

Jones, himself, began his undergraduate education at the University of Missouri-Columbia and earned his B.S. degree in agricultural journalism from Texas A&M in 1985. He received his Masters of Educational Administration degree in 1995. Jones is currently at part-time doctoral student in the Department of Agriculture Education at Texas A&M.

Jones speaks to many youth groups, high schools, community organizations, university audiences and professional colleagues.

No matter what agricultural field a student pursues, Jones strongly advises all majors to become more international in their thinking and skills. Knowing a second language -- such as Spanish -- can make a student far more valuable to an agricultural employer or in his own private business.

"Today, someone in agribusiness may visit with people from several countries in just one day," Jones said. "It really is becoming a smaller world."

But still a big world to feed for agriculture.