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.
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Outlook
Employment prospects for farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers in the 2010 - 2014 period are expected to be good. Employment in Manitoba in 2010 is estimated at 535.
The majority of job openings in this occupation are expected to be in hog production which increased at a faster pace in Manitoba over the last decade than elsewhere in Canada. However, the hog industry has faced many challenges in recent years and is going through a period of restructuring. At the beginning of 2010, farm inventories of cattle and hogs reached their lowest levels in 12 Years. Currently, the U.S country-of-origin-labelling (COOL) legislation is having a negative impact on Canadian farmers and ranchers. The legislation is discouraging American processing plants and retailers from purchasing Canadian cattle and hogs.
Government programs have been implemented to reduce hog supply and support producer prices. As a result, the number of jobs in hog production is not expected to increase significantly in the early part of the forecast period. In the short term most opportunities will result from turnover as the labour force in this occupation is relatively young. In the longer term, it is expected there will be a decreased reliance on US markets and success in developing high value markets domestically and in other parts of the world.
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%).
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Employment by Age Group
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Employment by Industry
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Employment by Region
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Employment by Gender
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Employment by Aboriginal Self-Identification
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Employment by Visible Minority
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Please Note - The source for above charts is the 2006 Census.
Professional Associations, Unions, and Regulatory Bodies...
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