Agricultural contractor
Agricultural contractors provide services to farmers, like crop planting and spraying, harvesting and animal management.
Working Hours
44–50
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As an agricultural contractor, you could:
- process, mill and plant seeds
- spray and fertilise crops
- harvest and bale crops
- help with animal husbandry, like breeding calves and lambing
- repair and maintain fences, hedges and dry stone walls
- service agricultural machinery
- carry out excavation or drainage work
Skills needed
- knowledge of food production methods
- the ability to work well with others
- the ability to organise your time and workload
- customer service skills
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to use your initiative
- persistence and determination
- the ability to motivate and manage staff
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
Entry requirements
Driving vehicles like lorries, tractors, harvesters and fork lift trucks can be part of your work. You can find out more about driving specialist vehicles from GOV.UK.
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- applying directly
Career progression
With experience, you could specialise in offering particular services, like crop management.
You could also work for private companies or co-operatives that offer management services to farms.