Orchard Farmer/Manager
Orchard farmers/managers plan and manage fruit and nut production in orchards.
This profile is abridged from the CareersNZ website
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Pay per yearGraduate |
Job opportunitiesAverage |
What you'll do
Orchard farmers/managers may do some or all of the following:
- Decide what fruit or nuts to grow
- Cultivate land and plan orchards
- Plant trees or shrubs, and monitor growth
- Ensure trees and shrubs are watered, fertilised and pruned, and are healthy
- Manage irrigation and frost protection
- Organise the harvesting, grading and packing of fruit or nuts, and arrange for sale and transport
- Buy seed, trees, fertiliser, machinery and other orchard materials
- Check, clean and maintain orchard equipment
- Train, organise and supervise orchard workers and contractors
- Ensure that food safety, health and safety, and other regulations are complied with
- Keep production and financial records
Entry requirements
There are no specific entry requirements to become an orchard farmer/manager but a diploma or science degree in horticulture is recommended.
If your job requires agri-chemical spraying you need a certificate from approved providers such as Growsafe.
For more information about your study options see: Areas of specialisation: Science
Personal requirements
Orchard farmers/managers need to be:
- Good administrators, with business planning skills
- Good communicators and managers
- Able to work well in a team and under pressure
What are the chances of getting a job?
Demand for orchard farmers/managers is increasing as the horticulture industry continues to grow.
Orchard farmers/managers are particularly in demand because:
- there are not enough New Zealanders available to do the work
- orchards are getting larger and more complex, and require advanced soil and orchard management skills to achieve greater productivity.
- High competition for orchard farmer/manager positions
- Staff turnover is low for orchard farmer/manager positions so competition can be high when vacancies arise.
However, it can still be difficult to find suitable people for orchard manager vacancies due to lack of experience and expertise.
Orchard farmers/managers can work for private orchard owners, businesses or grower companies that may own one or more orchards.
Orchard farmers/managers can also be self-employed and own their own orchards.
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This information is a guide only. Last updated 9 December 2024.