Career entry
Previous hands-on farming experience and technical knowledge are as important as academic qualifications, and some employers may appoint you based on your experience alone.
However, a degree is greatly valued, and most farm managers hold at least a degree or HND/foundation degree in agriculture or a related subject such as:
- agricultural engineering
- crop management
- farm business management
- horticulture
- land/estate management.
Further study to MSc or PhD level in relevant areas is possible if you want to follow the academic route - but this usually leads to research or teaching posts, rather than farm management.
Introduction
As a farm manager, you'll usually work with either animal production, dairy or crop production, although it's possible that you'll work with all three. Livestock on farms tends to be pigs, cows, or sheep, while crops can cover cereals, rapeseed oil, vegetables, and salad. You'll implement strategies for maximum yield, organise farm administration, work machinery and manage any associated businesses and staff.
What will you do daily?
- Analysing existing operations, crops, livestock, staff, and financial documents and recommending improvements.
- Preparing plans and schedules for planting and harvesting and ensuring staff understands expectations.
- Visiting the different divisions to inspect crops, livestock, and also perform tests on soil and water.
- Ensuring seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and other supplies are regularly restocked.
- Scheduling repairs, maintenance, and replacement of equipment and machinery.
- Handling the marketing and sale of products produced on the farm like fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, and grain.
- Ensuring all staff adheres to health and safety regulations.
- Assisting with the recruitment and training of new staff members.
- Collaborating with senior staff to prepare budgets and financial reports.
- Building professional networks and keeping abreast of developments in agricultural science.
Skills required
You'll need to show evidence of the following:
- A knowledge of food production and an awareness of customer demand, food standards and sustainability
- Organisational and time-management skills
- The ability to work under pressure
- Supervisory skills and management ability
- Numerical aptitude
- Willingness to be outside in all weathers and patience to undertake all sorts of practical, sometimes repetitive jobs
- A full driving licences
- Self-motivation, with the ability to motivate others
- Larger-scale business awareness
- Marketing skills
- Negotiation skills
- Genuine commitment to farming
- IT skills
- Good technical knowledge
- G good understanding of modern farming methods
- A commitment to animal welfare
- An understanding of the ways in which farming impacts the environment.
Where will you work?
Farm managers often work in agricultural fields owned by big private firms and they have to manage various kinds of agri-related activities. They also go for field visits in semi-urban or rural fields.
Positions
As a farm manager, you'll need to:
- Plan finances and production to maintain farm progress against budget parameters
- Undertake practical activities, such as driving tractors, operating machinery, feeding livestock, or spraying fields
- Market the farm's products
- Buy supplies, such as fertiliser and seeds
- Arrange the maintenance and repair of farm buildings, machinery, and equipment
- Plan activities for trainee staff, mentoring and monitoring them
- Maintain and monitor the quality of yield, whether livestock or crops
- Understand the implications of the weather and make contingency plans
- Make sure products are ready for deadlines, such as auctions and markets
- Ensure that farm activities comply with government regulations
- Monitor animal health and welfare, including liaising with vets
- Maintain knowledge of pests and diseases and an understanding of how they spread and how to treat them
- Apply health and safety standards across the farm estate
- Protect the environment and maintaining biodiversity
- Keep financial records up to date
- Apply for funding - if appropriate.
Salary
The highest salary for a Farm Manager in India is ₹4,32,239 per month. The lowest salary for a Farm Manager in India is ₹18,500 per month.
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