Description
Example Titles
Classified Elsewhere
Duties
Skills
Employment Requirements
Terms & Conditions
Earnings
Education / Training
Career Paths
Outlook
Professional Associations and unions

Employment by Age Group
Employment by Industry
Employment by Region
Employment by Gender
Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
Employment by Visible Minority

Farm Supervisors and Specialized Livestock Workers (NOC 8253)

Description

Farm supervisors supervise the work of general farm workers and harvesting labourers and perform general farm duties. Specialized livestock workers carry out feeding, health and breeding programs on dairy, beef, sheep, poultry and hog farms and may also supervise general farm workers and harvesting labourers.

Example Titles

cattle herdsperson
dairy herdsperson
farm foreman/woman
farm supervisor
feedlot foreman/woman
hog operation supervisor
horse trainer
poultry farm foreman/woman
ranch foreman/woman
swine herdsperson
vegetable farm foreman/woman

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Classified Elsewhere

Agricultural and Related Service Contractors and Managers (8252)
Farmers and Farm Managers (8251)
General Farm Workers (8431)
Harvesting Labourers (8611)

Duties

Farm supervisors perform some or all of the following duties:

Co-ordinate and supervise the work of general farm workers and harvesting labourers
Supervise seeding and harvesting operations for the production of feed
Supervise breeding programs and shipping operations
Develop work schedules and establish procedures
Maintain quality control and production records
Perform general farm duties.
Farm supervisors may specialize in dairy, poultry, swine, beef, sheep, fruit, vegetable, mixed, speciality and equine farms

Specialized livestock workers perform some or all of the following duties:

Formulate a feeding program
Maintain livestock performance records
Carry out a pasture or pen breeding program
Recognize and treat certain livestock health problems
Train horses
Perform general farm duties
May supervise general farm workers and harvesting labourers.

Skills

Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers need the following skills and abilities:

an interest in working with animals in a production environment, in all aspects of care from breeding, gestation and farrowing, to weaning and finishing,
ability to keep a barn environment safe and sanitary,
knowledge of pasture management and forage operations
good observation skills,
recordkeeping skills,
good teamwork skills,
attention to details and awareness of safety for animals, self and co-workers.

Employment Requirements

Employers prefer to hire people who have completed or are completing high school.
Specialized livestock workers such as pork production technicians may require a college certificate in agriculture or livestock husbandry or apprenticeship training.
To enrol as an apprentice in the pork production technician trade, you must be at least 16 years of age.

Terms & Conditions

Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers work indoors and outside. They work with farm equipment and with livestock. As farming and agricultural technology becomes more sophisticated, farm managers are spending more time in an office and with a computer.

Farm work can be hazardous. There is a danger of injury operating tractors and other farm equipment and there is danger of injury from animal bites or kicking. When dealing with animals the operation is 7 days a week. Farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers usually work 40 to 45 hours per week, but may work overtime during the planting season and harvest.

Most farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers are employees (74%). Some are self employed (23%) and aproximately 3% are unpaid family workers. Most (92%) work full-time. In some cases the work is seasonal.

Earnings

$24,100 per annum - starting

$30,600 per annum - average

$38,100 per annum - high

Earnings are reviewed annually or more frequently if new information becomes available.

Education / Training

Assiniboine Community College offers two-year diploma programs in Precision Agriculture and Agribusiness.
The University of Manitoba, Assiniboine Community College and the Manitoba Pork Council cooperatively provide a 240-hour Pork Production Manager Certificate Program primarily through evening and full-day seminars.
The University of Manitoba, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, offers the following degree programs -
Bachelor of Science in Agriculture [University 1 plus 3 years]
Agronomy
Animal Systems
Plant Systems
Agriculture Diploma Dip. Agric. [2 years]
The two-year Agriculture Diploma is designed to accommodate people who work directly in the farm or agribusiness sector. The program combines academic study in the agricultural sciences with practical activities and projects in a wide range of agricultural subjects.
To become a certified pork production technician, you must complete apprenticeship training that is a combination of on-the-job, practical experience and technical training. Individuals wanting to work in the industry or those presently employed in hog barns must first have an employer who will provide quality on-the-job training. Once you are working and have an employer willing to apprentice you as a pork production technician, contact the Apprenticeship Branch to formalize an apprenticeship agreement between you and your employer. With an agreement in place, you learn the skills of the trade by working closely with skilled tradespeople at your worksite.
The apprenticeship for a pork production technician is two calendar years. Apprentices must successfully complete 1800 hours of in-school training each year to qualify for a Certificate of Qualification.
If you are presently working in this field and want to become a fully qualified journeyperson, you can receive credit for previous job experience and training. You can apply to take a Trades Qualification exam administered by the Apprenticeship Branch.
Some high schools in Manitoba offer a program in Agriculture.

Career Paths

Summer or part-time employment as a helper in the livestock industry is a starting job.

Workers may specialize in the areas of breeding, farrowing, nursery and grow/finish.

As livestock workers gain experience and training they will find opportunity to move into managerial, administrative and technical support positions.

Outlook

Employment prospects for farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers in the 2009 - 2013 period are expected to be good. Employment in Manitoba in 2009 is estimated at 535.

Livestock operations were adversely affected by the BSE (mad cow) crisis which resulted in the temporary closure of the US border to Canadian cattle between 2003 and 2005. In November 2007, the border reopened to cattle older than 30 months.

Employment prospects in that sector improved after the ban was lifted and beef exports began moving southward again. The strong Canadian dollar, high feed costs and lower beef prices will impact on growth in cattle production over the forecast period.

The majority of job openings in this occupation are expected to be in hog production which has increased at a faster pace in Manitoba over the last decade than elsewhere in Canada. In late 2006, the Province of Manitoba placed a temporary moratorium on hog plant expansion and this may affect employment in the short term. However, in the longer term prospects are much brighter, especially for those experienced in the area of hog production.

A proportionally larger number of jobs are located in rural Manitoba. The majority of workers in this occupational group work within the Farms sector (76%), followed by Arts, Entertainment and Recreation (e.g. race tracks) (13%).

Employment by Age Group

Employment by Industry

Employment by Region

Employment by Gender

Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification

Employment by Visible Minority

Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.

Professional Associations and unions...

Manitoba Pork Council, 28 Terracon Place, Winnipeg, MB, R2J 4G7, http://www.manitobapork.com
Chicken Farmers of Canada, 1007-350 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON, K1R 7S8, http://www.chicken.ca
Canadian Swine Breeders Association, Building #54 - Maple Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C6, http://www.canswine.ca
National Farmers Union, 2717 Wentz Avenue, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 4B6, http://www.nfu.ca