Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors
Career Overview
Agricultural service contractors, who own and operate their own businesses, provide agricultural services such as livestock and poultry breeding, soil preparation, crop planting, crop spraying, cultivating or harvesting.
Farm supervisors supervise the work of livestock workers, farm machinery operators, livestock labourers, aquaculture labourers and harvesting labourers.
Contractors may be self-employed.
Job Titles
Duties
Agricultural service:
- Provide agricultural livestock services such as artificial insemination, spraying or shearing of livestock or disinfecting pens, barns or poultry houses
- Provide agricultural crop services such as plowing, irrigating, cultivating, spraying or harvesting
- Assist in the development and implementation of farm safety and bio-security procedures
- Hire and train workers
- Negotiate the terms of services to be provided
- Maintain financial and operational records
- May participate in the provision of services or in the operation of machinery and equipment
- May operate and repair digital technology and communication tools and equipment, such as robotic milking systems and global positioning systems (GPS)
Farm supervisors:
- Coordinate and supervise the work of livestock workers, farm machinery operators, livestock labourers and harvesting labourers
- Supervise breeding programs and harvest operations
- Supervise, monitor and enforce procedures to maintain animal and crop health and welfare
- Supervise and oversee growing and other crop-related operations
- Supervise maintenance of infrastructure, equipment, and supplies
- Develop work schedules and set up procedures
- Ensure farm safety, food safety and security and bio-security procedures are followed
- Maintain quality control and production records
- May perform general farm duties
- May operate and repair digital technology and communication tools and equipment, such as robotic milking systems and global positioning systems (GPS)
Special duties
Farm supervisors may specialize in dairy, poultry, swine, beef, sheep, equine, fruit, vegetable, mixed or other specialty farming.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
445% Employed Full Time
56%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a controlled indoor setting, however in some areas temperatures may vary
- Work also takes place outdoors in various weather conditions
- Workers may also be exposed to infectious bacteria and viruses as a result of treating sick animals
- Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools can be a source of injury
- The workplace may contain strong odours
Career Pathways
Career path information is currently not available.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Agricultural service contractors usually require a university degree, college diploma or industry courses in agricultural studies and several years of experience related to the service offered
- Contractors providing certain services, such as artificial insemination and pesticide application, may require training certificates and provincial licensing
- Farm supervisors may require a college certificate or other specialized training in agriculture or livestock husbandry
- A course or certificate in first aid may be required
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Agriculture Related
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
445Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 2.2% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 4.4% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 340 | 75.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 50 | 11.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 25 | 5.6% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
90Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 60 | 0.3% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 20 | 0.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 10 | 0.2% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Agriculture and Fishing | 90 |
Resources
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BC Dairy Association (BCDA)bcdairy.ca/dairyfarmers
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BC Fruit Growers' Association (BCFGA)www.bcfga.com
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BC Grain Producers Association (BCGPA)bcgrain.com
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BC Greenhouse Growers Associationwww.bcgreenhouse.ca
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British Columbia Landscape and Nursery Association (BCLNA)bclna.com
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BC Pork Producers’ Associationbcpork.ca/producers/bc-pork
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BC Poultry Association (BCPA)www.bcac.bc.ca/member-associations/bc-poultry-association
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BC Tree Fruits Cooperativewww.bctreefruits.com/
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BC Vegetable Marketing Commissionwww.bcveg.com
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British Columbia Blueberry Councilwww.bcblueberry.com
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British Columbia Cattlemen’s Association (BCCA)www.cattlemen.bc.ca
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British Columbia Cranberry Growers' Association (BCCGA)www.bccranberrygrowers.com
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British Columbia Grapegrowers Associationwww.grapegrowers.bc.ca
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Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Councilcahrc-ccrha.ca
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Certified Organic Associations of BC (COABC)www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca
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Horse Council British Columbia (HCBC)www.hcbc.ca
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Raspberry Industry Development Council (RIDC)www.bcraspberries.com
