When we think about a career in Agriculture, we imagine a farmer working in the field, or riding a tractor. The sector is not just limited to producing food grains, but many other industries depend, directly or indirectly on it.
Agriculture plays a vital role in driving the state of Indian Economy. At present, candidates from all over the country are selecting the Agriculture field as their prospective career.
Here, we are going to talk about a young officer, who loves to work for the growth of villages and decided to have a career as an Agriculture Officer to make his dreams come true.
Have a look at the journey of Mr. Lokesh Kumar Ojha, who belongs to a small town and is now working as an Agriculture Field Officer in the Bank of Baroda. He shared his experience with Eduncle.
Ques. How was your life when you were in IISER & NIFTM?
Ans: I studied in IISER Pune for one year. Later, I drop out from IISER due to some personal reasons and joined National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship & Management (NIFTEM) in 2012. I pursued four years course in Food Technology & Management.
Graduation was not easy for me as my schooling was from a village and I was a Hindi medium student. I always struggled with good grades but somehow, I managed to pass all semesters without any backlogs.
Ques. When did you decide to pursue a career in Agriculture field?
Ans: There were two reasons- first, I am from a rural background, so I always wanted to do something for villages.
Second, the Vice Chancellor of NIFTEM, Mr. Ajit Singh motivated all students to work for farmers. He started Village Adoption Program on campus. In this program, all the students used to stay in villages for 10 days in each semester and encountered real problems of the villagers.
So, I decided to devote my life to villages through Agriculture field and cracked the IBPS SO Recruitment Exam.
Ques. Tell us about the work culture of Agriculture Officers and how do they keep themselves motivated for the job?
Ans: Basically, Agriculture officer in banks takes care of the priority sector’s credits of the loans. He is responsible to distribute loans to customers who are engaged in Agriculture and its allied activities i.e. dairy, food processing, etc.
For me, motivation comes from farmers, who seek help from me during their hard times. Their blessings are my motivation to keep up the good work.
Ques. What are your biggest achievements that you'd like to share with us?
Ans: My real achievements lie in the moments when I hear something good about myself from the farmers. When I sanction loans to farmers and they bless me for my honesty and fast processing.
Ques. What is the future scope of an Agriculture Officer in India?
Ans: India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world but when I see the Agriculture Sector in India, there is no hope for farmers. People are leaving Agriculture and performing other tasks.
India needs the technology and expertise in the Agriculture field. Agriculture Sector can be saved only if we have proper storage and processing techniques to save post-harvest losses.
For processing, farmers need proper guidance and financial support and here Agriculture Officer can help them. An Agriculture Officer can provide both technical knowledge and financial support to the farmers, so that the farmers can increase their income by many folds.
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Ques. Apart from writing, what entices you the most?
Ans: I spend my free time at my own farms in my village. I also love to listen to music and go to music concerts whenever I get a chance. Watching television (English TV series) is also my hobby.
Ques. What are the preparation strategies that you’d like to share with Agriculture Field Officer Exam Aspirants?
Ans: I relayed on just one book, but I ensured that I read it completely. I also referred NABARD & RBI Websites and went through current affairs related to Agriculture and Banking sectors.
Ques. Which books would you refer for the Agriculture Field Officer Exam Preparation?
Ans: I would like to refer ‘A Competitive Book of Agriculture’ by Nem Raj Sunda. For the Agriculture Field Officer Exam, NABARD, RBI, ICAR websites play important roles.
Also, you should possess knowledge of Agriculture insight and Indian government schemes related to Agriculture and Banking.
Hope this interview with Mr. Lokesh Kumar Ojha will help you to know more about the Agriculture Field Officer and get some inspiration from him. If you like the story, share it with your friends.
If you want to ask anything, share them in the comments' section below.
