While others are trying to figure out how much chicken is actually in the chicken pasta they’ve just ordered, agribusiness majors will have the answers.

The agribusiness major at ULM blends the study of agriculture and business together to ensure career options in today’s job market.

“Our students go into a variety of fields and careers that support agriculture,” said James Casey, the agribusiness department head. “We’re talking about agriculture from the farm to the dinner table.”

The agriculture business field constitutes the production, commercial processing and marketing of products. These food and fiber products account for over 22 percent of the nation’s economic output.

Agribusiness is an interdisciplinary field that teaches students how to meet industry challenges. These students learn about marketing, finance, management, production and processing methods, environmental aspects, technology and more.

Students and faculty advisors recently took a trip to attend its annual conference in Tennessee.  They attended business sessions, educational programs and an honors banquet. Two national officers from ULM were recognized at the banquet.

Chanel Ingram, a recent agribusiness graduate, said technology and financial practices have changed the way of farming. Ingram said she chose the major to become a part of the “next generation of agricultural leaders.”

“It takes a lot more than planting a seed or buying a piece of land to be successful in agriculture today,” said Ingram. “It takes knowing your environment and having the tools to make the best decisions possible for your business. That’s exactly what the Agricultural Business program at ULM gives to its students.”

ULM’s agribusiness program uses several technology systems such as biotechnology, mapping software and GPS/GIS software.

Students receive a minor in business with the electives already built into the agribusiness curriculum through related management, marketing, business law and finance courses.

These options serve students in increasing their employability skills sought by potential employers.

Recent ULM graduates have pursued careers in farming units, agricultural credit management, equipment and chemical dealerships and federal and state departments of agriculture.

Zach Moore, an agribusiness instructor and Delta Tau Alpha Chapter Advisor, said that the top six careers that agribusiness graduates pursue have an annual median salary of $75,000 or more.

ULM’s unique location of an agricultural major in the College of Business and Social Sciences gives students business-oriented career paths.

ULM’s agribusiness program includes a chapter of the Delta Tau Alpha National Honor Society.