Sowers of crops: agriculture lacks agronomists and agricultural technicians
There are currently not enough agronomists and agricultural engineers in the agro-industrial complex, representatives of the industry, as well as universities, told Izvestia in recruiting services. The shortage of personnel from the agricultural sector is a long—standing problem, but the modern industry needs modern specialists who understand several areas at once and are able to work in an interdisciplinary team, experts say. The Ministry of Agriculture notes: now there is not only an increase in the number of vacancies in the agro—industrial complex, but also a qualitative change in the labor market, since agriculture is one of the most high-tech sectors of the Russian economy. About what other specialists are needed and how universities change programs at the request of business, see the Izvestia article.
Who is missing in the agro-industrial complex
Over the year, the number of vacancies in the agro-industrial complex has more than doubled, the Avito Rabota recruitment service and the Ruseed seed breeding company told Izvestia.
"Over the ten months of 2025, we see an increase in the number of vacancies for agricultural workers by 135%," said Anton Uvarov, Managing Director of Avito Rabota.
In the first half of 2025, the increase in the number of vacancies was estimated at 24%. At the same time, the need for the Northwestern Federal District has grown most rapidly — they have increased by 77% compared to the same period last year. There were 34% more vacancies in the Central Federal District, as well as in the Siberian Federal District — by 34%.
In October 2025, at the Golden Autumn forum, Russian Minister of Agriculture Oksana Lut stated that "there is a shortage of personnel."
"We need 160,000 people a year to upgrade the industry, because 150,000 people a year are leaving," she said, speaking at the plenary session.
As Izvestia wrote, the shortage of personnel in Russia has weakened after a sharp increase last year — in the third quarter of 2025, it returned to the level of 2023, according to the Central Bank. However, the regulator named agriculture and water supply among the areas where staffing levels are lowest.
According to the estimates of the recruitment service, representatives of crop production — agronomists, harvesters and vegetable growers - are leading in the agro-industrial complex in terms of the annual dynamics of job growth. And it was agronomists who began to be sought most actively: in the whole country, the increase in the number of such vacancies amounted to 35%, while only in the Siberian Federal District there were 98% more such vacancies, in the Northwestern Federal District — by 42%, in the Southern Federal District — by 34%.
"The sharp increase in demand for agronomists is due to the expansion of agricultural production, the introduction of new technologies and the need to increase yields," the analysts noted. — The personnel challenge in the industry is being solved by expanding the boundaries of recruitment and a flexible system for attracting specialists of all ages. The number of agronomist vacancies for students with various employment options has increased by 45%."
In addition to agronomists and agricultural engineers, the industry also needs researchers and scientists in the field of crop production and biotechnology, office specialists (logisticians, lawyers, marketers), experts in digital transformation and IT solutions for agriculture. And among the average technical staff, machine operators, machine operators, equipment repair and maintenance specialists, warehouse workers, product quality control specialists, and seed growers are in demand.
Head of Research Area hh.ru Maria Ignatova told Izvestia that since the beginning of the year, more than 114 thousand vacancies have been opened on this resource in the field of agriculture. The expert named handymen, drivers, accountants, agronomists, production line operators, veterinarians, agricultural machinery machinists, locksmiths and plumbers, and service engineers among the most sought-after specialties.
The press service of the Ministry of Agriculture told Izvestia that 6.4 million people work in the agro-industrial complex.
"According to the absolute need, representatives of such professions as veterinarian, agronomist, and zootechnician are most in demand. In terms of growth rates, vegetable growers, operators of livestock complexes and unmanned aircraft systems, as well as oenologists (specialists in the field of winemaking. — Ed.)," the ministry said.
How many frames are missing
The problem of personnel shortage in the agro-industrial complex is structural, said Anatoly Tikhonov, director of the Center for International Agribusiness and Food Security at the Higher School of Corporate Governance of the Presidential Academy (RANEPA). The industry requires both workers for field work, livestock complexes and processing, as well as specialists of a new formation who are able to work with high-tech equipment, precision farming systems and digital platforms.
"According to our estimates, the minimum demand today is 200-250 thousand people," he said. — Moreover, we are talking not only about seasonal workers: the shortage of engineering and technical personnel (mechanics, agricultural adjusters), agronomists, technologists, animal technicians, veterinarians, as well as operators and drivers of agricultural machinery is most acute. The demand is only 60-70% closed.
According to him, the most tense situation is observed in regions with a high concentration of intensive crop and livestock production.: Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, Rostov, Voronezh, Belgorod, Tyumen regions, as well as the Altai Territory.
Agriculture has become the area that has faced the largest shortage of personnel since 2008, said Ekaterina Kashtanova, Associate Professor of the Department of Personnel Management at the State University of Management. According to Rosstat, 27.2 million people work in agricultural companies, while the need for personnel is 2.2 million people, or 7.6% of the available jobs.
— At the same time, the most urgent need is observed in farmers, foresters and fishermen. There is a growing need for shift workers, as it is quite difficult to find specialists and skilled workers, especially machine operators, who are ready to travel or move to regions, especially distant regions of Russia," she said.
The expert noted that in the near future, agroanalysts of data using satellite and sensor monitoring will be in demand in the agroindustrial complex, as AI is already analyzing data on weather conditions, soil and plants to predict yields.
This year, competition in the industry has reached a balanced and comfortable level: the figures have increased to 5.6 resumes per vacancy, said Maria Ignatova.
"Over the past two years, there has been a pronounced shortage in agriculture — from 2.8 to 3.9 resumes per vacancy," she said.
How they try to close the need
Candidates with a wide range of skills and experience in various industries are of particular value in the agro-industrial complex, Avito Rabota noted.
"The modern market requires farmers to be able to work at the intersection of different spheres," analysts say. — For example, to develop eco-friendly products, implement digital systems or manage projects. Interdisciplinary competencies allow specialists in agriculture to be flexible, innovative and efficient."
Such specialties include, for example, an innovative agricultural technologist, an environmental economist, an agricultural engineer with IT skills, an agro-industrial analyst, an agricultural innovation manager, an ecologist and a specialist in sustainable development, and a specialist in digital agriculture.
— Today, our focus is shifting towards workers not only with agricultural, but also with digital competencies — we need specialists who can work with databases, platforms, and artificial intelligence systems. This is the future of the industry," said Mark Hecht, Managing Partner of the seed breeding company Ruseed.
Mark Hecht noted that in order to receive such specialists, businesses should be involved in the personnel training process as soon as possible.
And the head of the Ministry of Agriculture Oksana Lut, commenting on the conclusions of analysts, noted that now there is not just an increase in the number of vacancies in the agro-industrial complex, but a qualitative change in the labor market. She noted that agriculture is one of the most high—tech sectors of the Russian economy today.
—Modern agricultural machinery with autopilot and agricultural drones, artificial intelligence and crop management and forecasting systems — all this is already helping farmers to make accurate and quick decisions," she said. — But technologies don't work by themselves — they are created and implemented by people. Therefore, our main task is to train a new generation of specialists with digital competencies. To do this, we are forming an end—to-end educational system - from schools and colleges to universities and graduate schools.
How is education changing in agriculture
The press service of the Ministry of Agriculture reminded Izvestia that the federal project "Personnel in Agriculture" has been launched since this year to provide the industry with qualified personnel. It is within its framework that a cross—cutting model of agricultural education is being created - from school to employer. So, by 2030, 18 thousand agrotechnical classes should be created throughout the country.
"Systematic work is also being carried out to develop secondary vocational education, which today covers about 40% of the personnel needs of the industry," the ministry said. — Starting in 2026, on behalf of the President of Russia, the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Ministry of Education, is launching a separate program for the modernization of agricultural colleges — Agroprofessionality.
The federal project "Personnel in agriculture" provides for the support of agricultural producers for partial reimbursement of their costs under concluded student agreements and agreements on targeted training on a commercial basis, costs related to wages and accommodation of students during internship.
"Also this year, a new approach to working with the target quota for training has been launched: now its size is determined based on applications from employers," the Ministry of Agriculture noted.
Anatoly Tikhonov also recalled that a set of measures is already being implemented to overcome the shortage of personnel. Among them are not only professional training programs jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture, but also significant investments by companies in automation, safety standards and increasing the attractiveness of workplaces.
"A separate area is the development of modern social infrastructure in rural areas, which makes it possible to retain and attract specialists," he said.
Yulia Ogloblina, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Agrarian Issues, recalled that there are 57 agricultural universities in Russia. Every year they produce about 45-50 thousand specialists — agronomists, animal technicians, veterinarians, agricultural engineers, agricultural economists and other profiles.
"Against the background of import substitution, there is a need for geneticists in crop production, specialists in modern software, there is a shortage of qualified personnel in the field of breeding and seed production, but for the most part, the heads of agricultural enterprises note a shortage of workers," she said.
The MP noted that the goal is not for young people to just get a job, but for them to stay in the industry, seeing it as a prospect for life and career.
— And for this it is necessary to create appropriate conditions.: roads, kindergartens, schools, cultural centers, and healthcare facilities. It is very important for agribusiness specialists that the entire infrastructure is accessible. I didn't focus only on regional centers and cities," Yulia Ogloblina said. — We really need an affordable housing program for those who want and are ready to move from the city to the countryside. This may be rental housing, but on condition that in the future it would become property.
Ekaterina Kashtanova noted that an important task for employers is to enhance the segment's image in order to attract more young talents.
— In order to change the image and attract the younger generation, agribusiness companies should actively invest in marketing and PR, shaping the image of the high-tech industry. In addition to inviting experts to educational institutions, it would be extremely effective to introduce long—term internships and project work for students, allowing them to immediately immerse themselves in real tasks," she said.
Additionally, it is necessary to actively develop support and adaptation programs, such as mentoring, guaranteed employment for graduates and the creation of a comfortable social environment in rural areas, including modern housing and digital infrastructure, Ekaterina Kashtanova said.
Crop production professions, traditionally associated with field work, now require in-depth knowledge in the field of IT, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, precision farming and management of complex production processes, said Vladimir Trukhachev, Rector of the Timiryazev Academy.
"A modern agronomist, breeder, or agrochemist is a highly qualified specialist who knows how to work with big data, implement robotic systems, manipulate genetic information, and think strategically," he said.
Farida Nezhmetdinova, head of the Department of Philosophy and Law, Head of the Center for Strategic Planning and Public Relations at Kazan State Agrarian University, stated that business is turning to universities "with very specific requests."
— Specialists in the field of digitalization and artificial intelligence for the agro—industrial complex are in the first place in the requests: robotics engineers, specialists in unmanned systems, data analysts. Moreover, the partners explain: we need not just equipment operators, but people who can manage entire digital ecosystems of farms," she said.
The second most important request, according to her, is the agroengineers of the new formation.
— A modern machine operator should be able not only to operate machinery, but also to program automated systems, work with sensor data, and set up precision farming. One of our partners once said, "We need someone who will fix the tractor and set up the autopilot system," said Farida Nezhmetdinova.
Specialists in agroecology and biologization are actively being requested. This is due to the trend towards sustainable development, and there is a growing demand for new types of managers who understand the economics of supply chains and can build production from field to counter.
At the same time, large holdings, according to her, do not come with a request for specific positions, but with a description of business tasks: they need specialists who are ready to work in interdisciplinary teams and solve complex production issues.
Guzel Fassakhova, Executive Secretary of Kazan State Agrarian University, said that the university is ready to restructure the curricula of target students for specific orders: add specialized modules, change the balance of theory and practice, and organize internships at the right production sites.
She noted that narrow specialists are no longer in demand as much as before: employers need an interdisciplinary specialist — an agronomist who understands agricultural engineering and digital systems, or a zootechnician who knows the basics of veterinary medicine and production management. In addition, there are requests from businesses not only for individual specialists, but also for teams. Therefore, universities began to switch to project—based learning - students of different fields work on common tasks, as it happens in real production.
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