Rosselkhozbank drew up a portrait of a farmer of the 21st century

Together with students, schoolchildren and their parents, farmers are preparing for the beginning of the school year. On September 1, the third wave of training at the Farmer's School will start. The author of the educational project Rosselkhozbank analyzed the data of the students of two courses that had already taken place and compiled a portrait of a farmer of the 21st century, PionerProduct LLC was informed in the press service of the bank.

Agriculture is undergoing its fourth technological revolution, and it is already difficult to surprise with an autonomous harvester, a delicate milker robot or a drone buzzing over the field. However, physical labor is still inseparable from the life of a farmer. Therefore, almost ¾ of the farmers are men. But Russian women have retained their love for the land and are not afraid of physical labor. They see themselves in cheese making, growing berries, raising goats, growing crops, and producing milk. 

“Conscious choice, psychological maturity, striving for new knowledge, nepotism - all this is characteristic of a modern Russian farmer. I am glad that young people are coming to the agricultural sector, who are actively mastering digital technologies. Farming is becoming an increasingly promising, profitable and interesting profession. That is why Rosselkhozbank, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, regions, agricultural universities and large businesses, launched the federal project “Farmer's School. In a few days, on September 1, more than 800 students in 27 regions of Russia will start learning how to farm. These will be highly educated specialists who will support the successful development of the agricultural sector,” commented Boris Listov, Chairman of the Board of Rosselkhozbank. 

Farmer means smart. The survey showed that Russian farmers are people with an impressive intellectual background. Four out of five respondents graduated from a higher educational institution. Moreover, among those who decided to become a farmer, there is a programmer, a petroleum engineer, and a teacher. 

The rest of the survey participants have secondary and secondary special education or are still studying.

Most of the students of the "School of the Farmer" are people who have come to a new sphere for themselves. Such farmers of the first generation - 69% of the total flow of students. The remaining 31% continue the family tradition of farming. 

At the same time, all respondents are characterized by a desire to learn how to run a business efficiently using new knowledge. The question about the experience in agriculture did not reveal a clear answer-leader and divided the diagram of answers into almost 4 equal parts. This means that the value of knowledge is understood by both beginners and experienced farmers who want to increase the profitability of their business.

Farmer means family. The assumption that Russians approach the decision to connect life with agriculture very consciously and carefully is supported by the average age of the respondents - 39 years for both men and women. The youngest male farmer (22 years old) lives in the Sverdlovsk region, where he continues the family tradition and masters the breeding of meat and dairy breeds of cattle. And the youngest female farmer (22 years old) represents Bashkortostan. She learned how to make cheese and became the first bearer of the profession in her family. 

Who imports Russian beef?

The vast majority of respondents are married (84%). The specificity of agribusiness suggests that whole families are engaged in farming.

By the way, the average age of farmers practically coincides with the average age of those who take out a mortgage to buy housing in rural areas - 38 years. This intersection of audiences is not accidental: those who are preparing to work on the land are naturally interested in acquiring housing.

Farmer means seriously and for a long time. Those who completed the training almost unanimously (99%) decided that in the next 15-20 years they would connect their fate with farming. Only a few people from the capital region do not see themselves in the profession in the long term. Moreover, these are people who do not have a farming tradition in the family.

What is Farmer's School? This is a federal educational project of Rosselkhozbank on the basis of leading agricultural universities and agricultural enterprises, combining the capabilities of the Ministry of Agriculture, regions, specialized universities, large businesses and farmers for the purpose of theoretical and practical training of professional personnel for agriculture. Graduates receive state diplomas in areas of agriculture and the opportunity to participate in the competitive selection for a grant from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Since the start of the launch in 2020, 466 students in 16 regions have been trained at the School of the Farmer, training was organized in 17 unique specializations, and 45 of the most talented students received a grant from the Russian Agricultural Bank and the Svoye Agro-Food Fund for the creation and development of new small forms of farming.