MBA Agri Business Management 

Master of Business Administration in Agriculture Business Management is a two-year postgraduate program offering a degree in business management of agricultural organizations or ventures. Its acronym, MBA Agri-Business Management is more popularised as one of the specializations of the MBA degree. All those who wish to understand how the unique sector of agriculture is handled in the face of market forces can apply for the course after completing their graduation with a bachelor’s degree. Though before application, they shall have to attempt entrance examination(s), such as CAT, MAT, GMAT, XAT, SNAP, AIMA GAT, etc., according to their chosen institution’s eligibility requirements. Cut-off clearance, group discussions, and personal interviews are used by the colleges to eliminate the students they consider unfit for the MBA specialization, and the ones who successfully make it to the end can apply for varying programs offered by the institution, such as full-time, part-time, or online distance learning courses.

Agriculture in India is a dominant sector, even in the market, and contributes to a major part of the GDP. However, the population involved in the sector is such that the relevant market requires special schemes, laws, policies, and rules of market forces application. Candidates who apply for the MBA Agri-Business Management shall learn about how to deal with these factors, how to establish an organization that is more dedicated to agriculture but, manages to make a profit, and how to ensure its smooth operation in the relevant market. The best colleges for applying for the said course study are the Indian Institute of Management, Symbiosis Institute of International Business, National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management, and Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Science.


Why Study MBA Agri-Business Management?

Students can pursue the MBA Agri-Business Management programs for the following reasons:

  • Unique Market Structure: Agricultural market is among the most unique market structures. It is directly connected to basic necessities and income sources of a vast number of dependents of a country, hence, while market forces remain intact their impact is strictly controlled by the government. Students can learn a lot through the course about how is the market maintained.
  • Global and Perpetual Relevance: Agriculture produces and fuels one of the basic necessities of human beings, which is food. It can never be irrelevant, irrespective of the country, economy, political alignments, etc. Hence, MBA in Agri-Business Management can also be understood as a perpetually relevant course study.
  • Strong Networking: The higher authorities of a country and learned economists are actively involved with the agriculture market. Wherever the graduate is placed, they have a chance to connect and network with them due to the controlled scope of business. They can strengthen their connections and network through these people.
  • Contribution to National Growth: If the agriculture market of the country flourishes, so does the national GDP, overall growth rate, income, and other aspects of living. Hence, students can use the opportunity to contribute specifically to the economic progression of their country.

MBA Agri Business Management Eligibility Criteria

MBA Agri Business Management programs have certain basic eligibility criteria, which students need to satisfy to even apply for them. These eligibility criteria come before the onset of the admissions process, and students need to check them out before even registering for entrance exams. Moreover, every college has different eligibility criteria as well. 

Overall, students can expect the following to be included among the requirements of all colleges’ eligibility criteria for admission to MBA Agri-Business Management:

  • They need to have a graduate degree, with a bachelor’s degree, from a recognized university or equivalent.
  • They need to have an aggregate score of at least 50% in their bachelor’s degree.
  • They need to attempt an entrance exam as required for admission to their respective colleges.
  • The cut-off score for the entrance examination mentioned by the college needs to be satisfied as well.

MBA Agri Business Management Entrance Exams

MBA Agri Business Management program offering colleges in India require students to submit their entrance test scores, along with their admission application. It is only if their scores satisfy the cut-off criteria of the colleges that the students are invited to the next round of the admissions process. 

The entrance examinations for admission to postgraduate management and MBA programs are quite many in India. While some are conducted by an accrediting authority, others are conducted on national, state, or institutional levels. Students need to submit the exam scores which are accepted by the college they are applying for, which is commonly the one conducted by the institution itself. Alternatively, institutions might accept exam scores from reputed and highly competitive examinations.

Here are some of the most common entrance exam scores that students might have to submit for admission to MBA Agri-Business Management programs:

  • Common Admission Test (CAT)
  • Management Aptitude Test (MAT)
  • Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT)
  • Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)
  • Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP)
  • NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies) Management Aptitude Test  (NMAT)

MBA - Agri Business Management Syllabus

First Year:

Management Principles & Values

Agribusiness and Rural Marketing

Financial management for Agri-Business

Production and Operations Management

Managerial Economics

Quantitative Techniques

Agri-Business Management Marketing

Research Methods in Agri-Business

Organizational Behaviour and Ethos

Second Year:

Business Law and Ethics

Strategic Management

Practical Training (8 weeks)

Dissertation

Seminar in Agribusiness Management

Entrepreneurship and Project Management

Viva Voice

Computer Application and MIS

Feed business Management

Food Technology and Processing Management

Agro-chemicals and Technology Management

Fertilizer Technology and Management


MBA - Agri Business Management Career Options and Job Prospects

There are a number of options available to candidates with a master’s degree in Agri-Business. Candidates who are interested in further studies can go for research and Ph.D. Some of the top recruiting companies/industries that hire successful agri-business postgraduates are:

  • Marketing Industry
  • Retail Industry
  • Public and Private Enterprises
  • Food production companies
  • Farming industry
  • Import-Export Firms
  • Retail Firms
  • Government Boards - Fisheries, Diary

Here’s a list of popular job roles with an agri-business management degree:

  • Agribusiness Manager
  • Trader
  • Quality Controller
  • Marketing Head
  • Farm Appraiser
  • Agriculture Policy Analyst
  • Marketing Head
  • Bio-Compost Sales Head
  • Market Analyst

The Agribusiness manager handles various roles in the organization and his concerns are related to analyzing the financial situation in the agri-business economic market and ensuring the right flow of management information. The annual entry-level salary of a postgraduate is between Rs. 4 lakh to Rs.8 lakh.