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Agricultural Contractor
Agricultural contractors supply a variety of services to the agricultural industry, for example harvesting crops, hedge cutting and agricultural lime and manure spreading.
They often offer specialised services, including:
- crop spraying and fertiliser application
- mobile seed processing (using machinery to sort and clean seed and grain ready for planting).
- producing feed for livestock using the farmer’s own raw materials
- weed control
- livestock work such as lambing, sheep shearing and sheep dipping.
Agricultural contractors also do general work such as fencing, drainage and earthmoving.
Hours and Environment
Your hours of work will vary according to the time of year. During busy periods, you are likely to work long, irregular hours, including evenings and weekends. Depending on the type of service you provide, you might work on an on-call system to provide continuous cover, for example during lambing season.
You will often be outside in all weathers, sometimes working in noisy or dirty surroundings. The work can physically demanding, involving a lot of lifting and the use of heavy tools and equipment. You are likely to find a driving licence useful (and often essential) as you will need to travel between different contracts and possibly drive as part of your work.
Skills and Interests
To be an agricultural contractor you should:
- enjoy working with animals and on the land
- be able to use and maintain plant and machinery
- have practical agricultural skills and knowledge
- understand health and safety issues
- be flexible and able to deal with problems as they occur
- be capable of organising your time and working to deadlines
- be able to work both alone and as part of a team.
Entry
To become an agricultural contractor you will need experience of relevant agricultural work. Qualifications are not usually essential, although it could be useful to develop your skills and knowledge by attending courses. These are available on various levels, and include:
- BTEC First Diploma in Agriculture
- BTEC National Diploma in Agriculture.
For some tasks, such as operating chainsaws or using pesticides you are legally required to be trained and competent. The National Proficiency Test Council (NPTC) and the Scottish Skills Testing Service (SSTS) award certificates of competence for chainsaw use and for other areas related to arboriculture. Visit the NPTC and SSTS websites for details of colleges and private providers offering the training – there are links to the websites in Further Information below.
You may be able to get into this job through an apprenticeship scheme. Funding for apprenticeships is available for 16-24 year olds and some over-25s. To find out more, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk. For information about apprenticeships in other parts of the UK, see Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Training
As an agricultural contractor you can develop and add to your skills by doing a variety of courses. For example, if you work in activities such as sheep shearing, crop spraying or ploughing, you can do a number of short courses administered by the National Proficiency Test Council (NPTC) and the Scottish Skills Testing Service (SSTS). See Further Information below for links to the NPTC and SSTS websites.
Other relevant qualifications include:
- City and Guilds (C & G) National Certificate in Agriculture
- C&G Advanced National Certificate in Agriculture
- NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Agricultural Crop Production
- NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Mixed Farming
- NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Livestock Production.
Opportunities
Agricultural contractors are self employed and work on a 'job by job' basis. This can involve working in different parts of the country, depending on where work is available.
Annual Income
Earnings vary depending on the employer and type of work. Minimum rates of pay are set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Visit the DEFRA website for details - there is a link in Further Information below.
Further information
Edinburgh
EH28 8NE
Tel: 0131 333 2040
Lower Ground Floor
Ergon House
c/o Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
Tel: 0845 933 5577
Stoneleigh
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 024 7685 7300
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007
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Further Help and Advice
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Site Disclaimer
The information contained in our Career Profiles Database was correct at time of publishing, but since publication certain details may have changed so please use this section as a research tool and in some cases further research may be required.
Careers Database Information By Learn Direct Advice