Are you interested in working in a rapidly changing industry that is vital to providing everything from pharmaceuticals to essential oils? Working in the crops industry could give you the opportunity to produce non-food crops.

A wide variety of crops can now be grown to provide non-food products such as oils. New crops are continually being developed. A good example of this is oilseed rape which, 20 years ago, was a very minor crop but today is one of England's major crops.

Oilseed rape

Oil from oilseed rape was originally used primarily as a lamp oil. It provided a cheaper alternative to olive oil. Plant breeders developed varieties with a nutritious oil which encouraged its utilisation as a cooking oil and in foods. With the new market possibilities, production increased and now the UK produces about 1.3 million tonnes of oilseed rape from 400,000 hectares each year. It is used in the manufacture of many products, including margarine, crisps, mayonnaise and ice cream.

Other non-food crops include miscanthus and hemp.

There are many ways to enter a career in growing non-food crops. If you have no formal qualifications but can demonstrate your enthusiasm for working in this area, there are opportunities for you.

The following websites have more information on non-food crop production:

Farming and Countryside Education (FACE) - www.face-online.org.uk

National Farmers Union (NFU) – www.nfu.org.uk