Overview

Agricultural economics arose in the late 19th century, combined the theory of the firm with marketing and organization theory, and developed throughout the 20th century largely as an empirical branch of general economics. The discipline was closely linked to empirical applications of mathematical statistics and econometric methods made early. In the 1960’s and afterward, as agricultural sectors in the Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OECD) countries contracted, agricultural economists were drawn to the development problems of poor countries, to the trade and macroeconomic policy implications of agriculture in richer countries, and to a variety of issues in production, consumption, environmental and resource economics. The Department of Agricultural Economics started offering Agricultural Economics as major subjects after its initiation in 2012 and currently has 44 enrolled students in the department. Since its establishment, a total number of 180 students have completed their graduation in Agri. Economics. They are pursuing their career in different public and private sector organizations. The department’s faculty, staff, and students work in the areas of agribusiness management, marketing, agricultural finance and financial planning, policy, entrepreneurships, economic development, international trade and transportation, natural resource economics, and agricultural production economics. Faculty responsibilities are divided among teaching, extension, research and service. Significant emphasis is given to the international dimensions of these tasks. The Department looks forward for the commencement of post graduate level courses (M.Sc/ Ph.d) as its future endeavors. This very action may help to highlight the constraints faced by farmers in the region and to provide them with better economic initiatives by deploying market based research tools.