Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling

Farm supply retailing and wholesaling entail having a good grasp of how agriculture works as a business. Read on to see if a career in these fields might be right for you.

Inside Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling

There are no formal education requirements for entering the retail or wholesale fields of farm supply; however, workers in these fields should have a certain degree of knowledge about the products being sold. Therefore, joining these fields may require some experience working on a farm, using many of the products that are being sold.

Wholesalers will need to be effective communicators in order to demonstrate how new farming innovations will be useful to their customers. Establishing a retail or wholesale business in farm supplies will also require developing relationships with equipment manufacturers and other farmers, in order to get animal feed and farming equipment at bulk rates.

For the best career prospects, those interested in the retail and wholesale of farm supplies may pursue at least a bachelor's degree in agricultural business. These undergraduate degree programs will include courses in accounting, selling and sales management, crop production, economics, marketing of agriculture products and farm management. Graduates are prepared for careers in farm management and farm supply sales.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for sales representatives in wholesale and manufacturing is expected to grow by seven percent from 2008-2018 (www.bls.gov). Retail and wholesale farm supply salespeople vary in their compensation. Various factors affect pay, including bonus structure, commission and base salary. Depending on these factors, a person who sold heavy farming equipment earned a median salary of over $70,000, reported the BLS in May 2008. Yet, by May 2010, the mean annual wage for sales representatives in wholesale and manufacturing, with the exception of scientific and technical products, was $62,720.

Learn More About Farm Supplies Retailing and Wholesaling

You can learn more about the fields of retail and wholesale for farm supplies through the resources available at Education-Portal.com. You can explore various degree and career options, as well as learn more about distance learning programs that can help you earn a degree from home.

Degree Options

Earning a degree related to the retail and wholesale of farm supplies can help you advance more quickly in this field. You can explore a variety of degree options in agribusiness through the resources listed below.

Career Options

If you are interested in working with farm supplies in a business setting, you may be interested in all available career options. You can explore a variety of potential job titles through the resources listed below.

Distance Learning Options

You can begin earning a degree related to the retail and wholesale of farm supplies through a number of online options. You can learn more about these distance learning programs through the resources listed below.