| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Agriculture and Food Processing |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Head of Agri Business |
| Direct reports | Tractor Driver, Field Assistant (Agri), Poultry Supervisor |
| Experience | 6 to 10 years in farm operations or management |
Farm Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Farm Manager
Department: Agriculture and Food Processing
Reports to: Head of Agri Business
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Farm Manager runs the day to day operations of a farm, planning crops, managing labour and inputs, and getting the harvest in on time. The role reports to the Head of Agri Business or the owner. A good farm manager plans the crop cycle well, uses inputs and water efficiently, keeps labour productive, times sowing, irrigation and harvest right, controls cost per acre, keeps machinery running, and gets a good yield and quality off the land season after season while keeping the farm safe and well run.
Key responsibilities
- Plan the crop cycle, land use and cropping pattern for the farm each season.
- Manage labour, allocate daily work and keep the crew productive.
- Plan and control the use of seeds, fertilizers, water and crop protection.
- Time sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvest for the best yield.
- Run and maintain farm machinery, implements and irrigation systems.
- Control cost per acre across inputs, labour and machinery.
- Manage pest, disease and weather risk through the crop cycle.
- Keep the harvest, grading and storage on schedule and in good condition.
- Keep farm records of inputs, operations, yield and cost.
- Keep the farm safe and compliant on labour and input use.
Requirements
- Degree or diploma in agriculture
- Practical knowledge of the local crops and soils
- Experience running farm operations
- 6 to 10 years in farm operations or management
KRAs and KPIs for a Farm Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Yield | Crop yield per acre against the agreed seasonal target |
| Cost per acre | Input, labour and machinery cost per acre within the limit |
| Labour productivity | Work completed per labour day above the agreed target |
| Timeliness | Sowing, irrigation and harvest done within the right window |
| Produce quality | Graded produce meeting the quality standard above target |
| Machinery uptime | Farm machinery downtime in season kept below the agreed level |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Tractors and implements, Irrigation systems, Farm record tools, MS Excel, Soil and weather data.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Head of Agri Business, Farm Operations Head, Agri Business Manager
Interview questions for a Farm Manager
- How do you plan a cropping pattern for a season?
- How do you keep labour productive during a busy harvest?
- How do you use water and fertilizer efficiently?
- How do you time sowing and harvest for the best yield?
- How do you control cost per acre without hurting yield?
- How do you handle a pest outbreak mid season?
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What does a Farm Manager do?
A Farm Manager runs the day to day operations of a farm, planning crops, managing labour and inputs, and getting the harvest in on time. They plan the crop cycle, use inputs and water efficiently, keep labour productive, control cost per acre and maintain machinery, getting a good yield season after season.
What skills does a Farm Manager need?
The role needs crop planning, labour management and input and water management, plus harvest and machinery upkeep and firm cost control. Add pest and disease management and practical judgement, since timing sowing, irrigation and harvest correctly, and reacting to weather and pests, decides the yield.
What qualifications does a Farm Manager need?
Most roles ask for a degree or diploma in agriculture with practical knowledge of the local crops and soils and experience running farm operations. Employers value hands on crop, labour and machinery management and the judgement to make timing and input decisions that protect yield and control cost.