The number of college students graduating with a degree in agriculture has been on the decline, but there are nearly 8,000 job opportunities in the ag industry for qualified candidates this year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Beginning in mid-May, 164 college students from across the country began internships with Monsanto Company to gain experience for future careers in agriculture.

Twenty-three students from the University of Missouri – Columbia joined Monsanto’s summer intern class. Seven of those students will be working as field sales interns in communities across the U.S..

For the next three months, these interns will build strong sales skills and relationships with customers by participating in team and customer call projects and completing a county market analysis. With professional guidance, they will assist the local sales team in delivering outstanding customer service, while making industry connections and networking with other young professionals.

The Monsanto summer internship program has been active for more than a decade, and participating in the program puts students on the inside track to a career with the industry leader. The program allows Monsanto to assess career potential, and the majority of new graduate hiring comes from its internship and co-op programs. More than 70 percent of Monsanto territory sales managers began their professional careers in agriculture as Monsanto summer sales interns.