Horticulture is a very diverse area with career opportunities for almost
any person interested in the field. Job exist for almost everyone, from
those with no formal education in horticulture to those with Ph.D. and
other degrees in horticulture.The nature of many of
the career fields in horticulture allows horticulturists to open their
own business. Scope for career advancement are determined by the career
choosen and it is limited by the educational qualification, ambitions
and skills of the person pursuing the career.
Due to its significance, there are ample job opportunities for graduate
and post graduate of the discipline in India as well as abroad. Horticulturists
can enter into various fields in industry, government or educational institutions
or private concerns. Horticulturists work in a wide range of areas in
agribusiness, arboriculture (planting and care of woody plants), botanical
gardens, conservation, crop management, floral design, food chemistry,
fruit and vegetable production, garden centers, greenhouses, grounds management,
landscape construction and management, nurseries, management and sales,
marketing/public relations, research and development, teaching/instruction,
technical writing and publishing. Horticulture institutes and colleges,
vegetable farms, fruit orchards etc. always look for skilled horticulturists.
Those in government sector are responsible for the maintanence of parks,
public gardens, official lawns etc.
Both public and private sectors offer employment to qualified and trained
horticulturists with attractive remuneration. In Govt. Sector one can
work as Horticulture Inspector, Fruit and Vegetable Inspector, Training
Assistant in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), District Horticulture Officer/
District Agriculture Officer, Marketing Inspector, Farm Supervisor, Section
Officer and Agriculture Inspector. Option of a career as Lecturer and
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor in Agriculture Universities and
Colleges or Technical Assistant/Technical Officer in Agriculture Universities
can also be accessed. One can also work as Agriculture Development Officer
or can become Scientist. Self employment option is available as Horticulture
Consultant or Horticulture Therapist, Floral decorator/ florist shop,
Fruit/ Vegetable / Flower grower etc. One can choose to be a horticulture
entrepreneur also by setting up a horticulture farm for growing fruits,
vegetables or flowers or a horticulture nursery for nursery production
of horticultural plants. Horticultural professionals can get in Civil
Services sector too through competitive examinations.
With the commercialisation of agriculture and horticulture there are
varied opportunities for salaried jobs as well as entrepreneurship. While
salaried jobs with various government and private concerns provide a regular
income, entrepreneurship can generate handsome profits. Many horticulturists
take up independent profession as landscape designers. Horticulturists
are hired by hotels, health farms, and holiday resorts to beautify their
surroundings. Students completing horticulture courses in India are offered
placements as farming experts in vineyards, plantations, and fruit groves.
City planners appoint horticulture experts for town beautification. There
is a vast employment opportunity in the commercial or environmental sectors
as well as in research and journalism. Horticulture with its offshoot
floriculture has become a focus of export activity. In the field of fruits
and vegetables too, India has tremendous export potential. Now, computers
are widely used in the horticultural field. Special areas of computer
application in horticulture include: designing plants, crop modeling and
soil modeling equipment automation, public information, record keeping
and databases.
Horticultural therapy is an exciting and challenging
field. Horticultural Therapists often work in conjunction or liaison with
other professionals such as psychologists, occupational therapists, physicians
and social workers. Horticultural Therapists treat those who have physical
disabilities, mental health problems and learning difficulties, those
recovering from major injuries or illnesses, and elderly people. Programmes
can also be developed for the rehabilitation of offenders or those suffering
from drug or alcohol abuse.With more and more people opting for naturopathic
treatment of diseases, growing of medicinal plants has become significant,
which provide attractive business opportunitiy to horticultural nursery/gardens.
