Agricultural Manager

SUMMARY:
Our client, based on a farm in Northern KwaZulu-Natal, is currently seeking an experienced Agricultural Manager to overseer all operations with their Cattle, Sugar Cane and Timber divisions. This role comes with excellent remuneration and accommodation for the ideal candidate.

POSITION INFO:
Position: Agricultural Manager

Location: Umfolozi, KwaZulu-Natal

Industry: Cattle, Crop and Timber Farming

Minimum Qualification Criteria:

• Matric
• A Diploma or Degree in Agriculture or a related field would be advantageous - not compulsory
• Minimum 15 years + Farm Management Exp
• Minimum 10 years + Cattle Breeding Experience - Non negotiable
• Sugarcane planting and Timber knowledge would be advantageous.

• Ensure all operations as per the approved budget are carried out whilst being aware of year to date variance against budget.
• Ensure all expenditure quotes and orders are done timeously and are processed and
• approved before actioned.
• Clock cards are verified and approved for processing every Monday.
• Daily cattle grazing and feed application monitoring.
• Daily sugarcane returns are captured and reconciled.
• Daily timber returns to be reconciled when harvesting.
• Ensure all month end reporting documentation is submitted on time.

• Attend Health and Safety meetings.
• Ensure Fire procedures and equipment registers are up to date.
• Fire truck and equipment weekly scheduled maintenance checks are done.
• Fire extinguishers are placed in their proper place around property.
• Fire drills are done every six months and updates of fire evacuation are updated.
• Chemical register to be up to date and standard operating procedures are followed.

• Ensure staff are in good health and are capable of the work at hand.
• Ensure staff follow the health and safety regulations.
• Ensure staff complete tasks given and doing what is required of them daily.

• Ensure all equipment is in good working order and service schedules are kept up to date.
• Standard operating procedures are constantly worked on to limit risk.

• Do weekly security checks on cattle, sugarcane areas, timber areas as well as Fish farm, Riverview area, and Quarry timber area.
• Checking pump houses must be constant and alarms must be tested regularly.
• Always maintain communication with the security company.
• Ensure timber harvest and plantings are secure and guards are ordered timeously ordered and checked on throughout the guarding operations.

• 400 Simbra breeding cows / 6 Simmental bulls / 6 Brahman bulls
• Manage daily operations of the cattle including feeding, ensuring clean water is always available, and animal health.
• Monitor animal health and welfare, including liaising with vets.
• Keep records of animals and their health.
• Maintain farm facilities and equipment, arranging for repairs as needed.
• Manage farm workers and delegate tasks appropriately.
• Ensure all staff adhere to health and safety regulations.
• Pasture management.
• Ensure grazing cycle is managed so that the ripening program is adhered to and ripening applied at the correct dates
• Implement and improve operational processes to increase farm productivity.
• Ensure all farming practices follow government Foot & Mouth Disease regulations.
• Oversee breeding programs and manage animal selection.
• Oversee calving season and manage calves to good health

• 320ha approximately 24,000 tons annual harvest
• Ripening of sugar cane.
• Ensure that the ripening program is adhered to and ripening applied at the correct dates
• Make Weekly updates on ripening plan if changes because of weather.
• Ensure Harvest contractors are monitored while harvest is carried out.
• Ensure Cutting heights are correct, and the loading of the sugarcane and truck weights are maintained.
• Ensure correct fields are burnt without high risk and are harvested at the planned time.
• Ensure trucks are loaded as per allocation and are ticketed correctly with the correct field details.
• Soil samples for every field must be done to provide an understanding of the fertilizer requirements
• Ensure that the contractor is weeding the fields at the desired pace with the best results.
• Ensure the herbicides are applied at the best time to produce the best results. Using registered and correct chemicals recommended by registered chemical representatives
• Ensure orders and stock control are recorded correctly.
• To order and source the best product for our application and to apply the correct rate of fertilizer to ensure good cane growth using recommendations from soil samples.
• Ensure stock control and orders are up to date.
• Ensure timeous application of pesticides by contractor
• Continuously check suspected fields for damage using SASRI. Pest and Disease team
• Ensure all fields are well sprayed to kill off old crop and weeds and are ploughed to a good tilth
• Ensure fertilizer calibration is correct, and ridges are at the right depth.
• Ensure seed cane is of the best quality and corrects age and has been checked by the SASRI. Pest and Disease team for any off types or disease.
• Ensure planting contractors are planting the correct amount of seed and are cutting the sets at the correct size before spraying pesticide at the correct rate and timing before covering the rows completely.
• Gapping up of fields to be done as soon as germination is complete, and gaps are visible.
• Floppy’s.
• Ensure all standpipes are removed prior to burning and harvesting.
• Standpipes are to be replaced as soon as there is enough water available to locate the standpipe holes.
• All damage to the standpipes and to subsurface pipes must be repaired immediately, there is enough water to find the problems.
• Scheduled irrigation to commence as soon as there is river water available
• Ensure all pivots are out the way of harvest operations
• Ensure the pivots stay in constant working order as to be available as soon as water is available.
• To irrigate constantly through the available water season in a scheduled operation.
• To Ensure all pump houses and extraction pipes and equipment is always kept in good running condition.
• Ensure the clearing of the sand buildup in the river must be done timeously and continuously to keep the river pumps operational

• 270ha approximately 55ha / 10,000 tons annual harvest
• Ensure all fire breaks are maintained by ZFPS. recommendations and are fuel free.
• Ensure all compartments fuel load is at a minimum using contractors.
• Ensure all work done in compartments is done timeously and to the correct standard.
• Ensure contractors’ health and safety registers are up to date and all staff are wearing the correct protective clothing.
• Ensure a harvest plan is drawn up prior to harvest with all hazards identified with the contractor.
• Ensure that the contractor follows health and safety regulations.
• Ensure harvesting of the trees is done in the correct way with cut direction and cut height and hinge and butt sizes.
• Ensure all loading is done at an efficient pace and all loads recorded to be reconciled daily.
• Ensure seedlings are ordered timeously
• Check all seedlings on arrival for any damage or disease and the correct size and root growth.
• Ensure contractor has done the pre burn spray correctly, burnt safely and per plant sprayed correctly.
• Ensure mark and pit operations are done to the right depth and are in straight rows.
• Ensure contractors ring weed, conning and chemical work is done correctly and done timeously.
• Ensure the right chemical and calibration and nozzle are used when spraying.
• Ensure contractors Health and safety registers and PPE are within regulations