Farm Manager job description
A farm manager runs the daily work of a farm or plantation, from sowing plans and labour gangs to water, inputs and harvest. The business needs one accountable person on the ground.
Why the role exists
The farm manager turns the owner's crop and cost plan into daily work on the land. The person reports to the owner or an agribusiness head and leads field supervisors, tractor drivers and seasonal labour. The role links the field with the store, the market and the accounts desk.
What the person does
- Prepare the season plan for land preparation, sowing, irrigation and harvest, and agree it with the owner.
- Allocate daily work to field supervisors, operators and seasonal labour gangs, and check it was done.
- Plan seed, fertiliser, pesticide and fuel needs, and keep the farm store stocked without waste.
- Walk the plots every day to check crop stand, pests, water and soil moisture, and record what is found.
- Schedule borewell, drip and pump use, and arrange repairs of pumps, tractors and implements.
- Keep farm records of operations, inputs used, labour days and yields for each plot.
- Coordinate harvest, grading, packing and dispatch with buyers, mandi agents or the processing unit.
- Control farm costs against the budget and report variances and crop risks to the owner every week.
Skills and tools
- Crop calendars and package of practices for the main crops grown on the farm
- Irrigation methods such as drip, sprinkler and flood, and pump upkeep
- Leading seasonal and daily-wage labour and keeping gang records
- Safe handling and storage of crop protection chemicals
- Tractor and implement knowledge and basic repair planning
- Farm record keeping in registers or simple spreadsheets
- Cost tracking per acre and per crop
- Working with mandi agents, buyers and input dealers
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- Preferred: diploma or degree in agriculture or horticulture, or equivalent experience running cultivation.
- Preferred: several seasons of hands-on field management on a commercial farm or plantation.
- Useful: experience leading a team of supervisors and seasonal labour during peak work.
- Useful: working knowledge of the local language and the common crops of the region.
How the work is judged
- Whether sowing, irrigation and harvest were completed on the planned dates
- Yield and quality of the crop compared with the plan the owner approved
- Input and labour cost per acre against the budget
- Accuracy and timeliness of farm records and weekly reports
- Condition of pumps, tractors and the farm store, and safe handling of chemicals
Where the role can lead
- Senior farm manager or cluster manager across several farms or estates
- General manager of agri operations in an agribusiness or plantation company
- Independent farm consulting or managing a larger contract farming programme
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- Describe a season when rain or a pest outbreak upset your plan. What did you change and what was the result?
- How do you decide how many labourers to call each day when the weather is uncertain?
- Tell us how you check that fertiliser and spray have been applied at the right dose and time.
- How do you keep farm costs visible to the owner during the season, not only at the end?
- What would you do if a borewell yield dropped during a dry spell with a standing crop?
- How have you handled a dispute between labour gangs or a supervisor who was not following instructions?
Hiring tips for this role
- Ask for plot-level examples from past seasons. A real manager can name the crop, the problem and the cost, not only general claims.
- Check chemical handling practice and what protective gear the person insists on. Confirm any safety or licence needs with your own adviser.
- Many hires are strong on labour and weak on records. Test a sample register or ask them to draft a weekly report.
- Agree the owner's authority limits early, such as spending on repairs and hiring labour, so the manager does not wait for approval on routine work.
Questions about hiring a farm manager
Not always. A degree or diploma helps with agronomy and records, but many good managers learn on the land. Weigh seasons of real crop responsibility at least as much as the certificate.
The supervisor runs a block or gang and reports daily work. The manager owns the whole plan, budget, inputs, equipment and buyer dispatch, and answers to the owner for the crop result.
Often yes, because irrigation and labour issues arise early and late in the day. State the housing and presence expectation clearly in the offer so both sides agree before joining.
GullyHR agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates with real crop experience, and supports the offer. This is permanent hiring for your farm or agribusiness.
Hiring a farm manager?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.