With the growth in world population alongside the need to ensure the highest quality food supply, it is more important than ever that farmers receive a first class education. Ensuring the availability of nutritious milk and meat in the future is vital, as well as complying with conservation and sustainability requirements. In studying a course in Agriculture, you'll also learn a number of important principles such as soil and grassland management, crop management and production, animal production as well as sustainability.
If you are interested in a more vocational course, the Foundation degree in Agriculture or Agriculture and Countryside Management will appeal to you. This is a unique opportunity to develop skills in husbandry and management, and to gain practical experience that will pave the way to a career in agriculture, countryside management and conservation. These courses are also popular among those who wish to retrain or change career.
The food and farming sector is key to the Welsh economy in terms of employment and its contribution to tourism. The supply chain represents around 18% of the Welsh workforce. According to a Welsh Government report on Welsh language skills, 45% of agri-food sector employers considered Welsh language skills as important to their business, and a third considered Welsh language skills as very important. The same report shows that Welsh is used in the workplace in almost 50% of agri-food sector organisations. This naturally means that studying in Welsh will empower you with language skills crucial to this sector.
Graduates of Agriculture and Countryside Management work in many different areas, including farm management, animal feed, agricultural-environmental consultancy, the provision of sustainable food, farm animal health and welfare inspection, agricultural goods supply, as well as habitat protection and conservation.