In today’s dynamic and highly competitive agricultural industry, the role of a farm manager has become extremely critical in ensuring the smooth and productive operation of farm activities, especially in the face of increasing demands for food, the need for resource conservation, and the adoption of modern farming practices, which require a balance of traditional skills and technical knowledge to achieve sustainable agricultural development and profitability. In this hall, we will study the Functions Of Farm Manager in Agriculture.
READ ALSO: Countries With the Largest Farming Land in the World
Table Of Contents
At the end of this article, students should be able to know:
- Meaning of farm manager
- Functions Of farm manager
- Types and functions
- Problems of farm manager
- Revision Questions
- Conclusion
MEANING OF FARM MANAGER
Meaning: In agriculture, the farm manager is usually regarded as the entrepreneur whose duties include the organization, administration, production and marketing of produce from the farm. The reward for manager is profit.
A farm manager is a trained individual who is responsible for planning, organizing, supervising, and controlling all aspects of farm operations, with the aim of ensuring maximum productivity, resource efficiency, and profitability, while at the same time addressing the challenges associated with farm labor, environmental sustainability, and market fluctuations, through the application of scientific knowledge, practical experience, and sound managerial practices.
In simpler terms, a farm manager is the person in charge of making decisions about the day-to-day running of a farm, including when to plant, what to plant, how to manage workers, when to harvest, how to store produce, and how to allocate resources like money, machines, land, and time, in order to produce high yields while keeping costs low and maintaining long-term farm health.
See Also
MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF FARM MANAGER
The functions of a farm manager are diverse and require a combination of agricultural expertise, business acumen, and leadership ability, and these functions can be grouped into the following key areas
The functions of farm manager can be grouped into five major headings:
- Organization
- Administration
- Production
- Marketing
- Evaluation
1. Organization: The farm manager is responsible for organizing the various farm resources, including land, labor, capital, machinery, and materials, in a way that ensures they are used efficiently and productively, which means assigning tasks to the right workers, acquiring and maintaining equipment, arranging for timely supply of inputs, and managing land use based on soil quality, crop suitability, and environmental considerations.
Other functions of farm manager in organization is as follows.
- The farm manager secure suitable land for farming.
- He determines what to produce.
- He determines the scale of production
- He procure loan or capital for farming.
- He recruits or employ labour or workers for the farm
- He decide on which Enterprise is to undertake, given the availability resources, e.g, fish farming and rice production.
2. Administration: The administrative function of the farm manager encompasses the broad task of overseeing and coordinating the overall running of the farm as a business unit, which includes human resource management such as recruiting, training, and supervising workers; financial administration such as budgeting, accounting, and cash flow management; regulatory compliance including adherence to government policies, labor laws, and safety regulations; and communication management involving interaction with suppliers, buyers, contractors, agricultural officers, and sometimes local community members or stakeholders, meaning that the farm manager serves not only as a production expert but also as a leader and administrator who ensures that all departments and activities within the farm operate smoothly, legally, and efficiently in line with the farm’s objectives.
Other functions of farm manager (administration) is as follows:
- A farm manager supervises the work on the farm
- He arranges work roasters
- He directs staff on day-to-day activities
- He makes arrangement for staff welfare
- He rewards or disciplines staff according to their performance
- He organizes the training of manpower in the farm
- He maintains good labour relations to avoid disruption of Farm activities.
- He acquaint himself with government agricultural policies with respect to opportunities and constraints they pose on the farm
3. Production: The production function of a farm manager refers to the responsibility of ensuring that all farm activities are carried out in a way that maximizes the quantity and quality of output, whether it involves growing crops, raising livestock, or managing integrated systems such as fish farming or poultry production, and this function involves making decisions on the best farming methods to use, selecting high-yield crop varieties or animal breeds, timing of planting and harvesting, use of fertilizers, pest control measures, irrigation scheduling, and post-harvest handling, all while taking into account the specific environmental conditions of the farm, the availability of resources, and the market demands, because the success of a farm operation is ultimately judged by its level of production in terms of both volume and value, and this is why the farm manager must always work toward increasing productivity per unit of land, labor, and capital.
Other Functions of farm manager (production manager) is as follows;
- A farm manager is responsible for the purchase and use of Farm inputs.
- He ensures the health of animals/crops on the farm
- He makes arrangement for general security of the farm
- He ensures the adequate supply of feeds.
- He adheres to modern farming techniques
- He avoid waste by efficient use and maintenance of Farm resources.
- He combines resources to yield optimum profits
- He sets production targets and wage level.
4. Marketing: The farm manager also takes part in marketing and selling farm produce, which includes identifying target markets, determining prices, negotiating with buyers, organizing transport and storage, and ensuring that the produce reaches the market in good condition and at the right time to attract the best possible prices, all of which requires knowledge of market trends, consumer demand, and competition
The followings are the roles and functions of Farm Manager (marketing manager);
- The farm manager determines the quantity of produce to sell
- He determines the best marketing channel to use to make maximum profits.
- He determines when to sell to make maximum profits.
- He determines at what price to sell.
- He may also be responsible for the processing of Farm produce.
- He monitors marketing trends in order to decide which commodities to produce in his farm.
- He arranges for storage and warehousing of unsold produce. Study about farm storage [here]
5. Evaluation: The evaluation function is a highly important part of farm management, as it involves the systematic assessment of the performance and outcomes of all farm operations, which means that after the farm plan has been executed, the farm manager must analyze and compare the actual results obtained—such as crop yield, revenue generated, cost incurred, or labor productivity—with the expected results or targets set at the beginning of the season, and from this analysis, the manager can identify which aspects of the farm performed well, which ones underperformed, and what changes need to be made in the next cycle, so evaluation helps in making informed decisions, learning from past experiences, adjusting future plans, and ultimately improving the profitability, sustainability, and resilience of the farm enterprise over time.
Other functions of farm manager as Evaluation manager is as follows;
- He keeps the general record of the farm
- He supervises account and bookkeeping of all operations on the farm.
- He analyzes Farm operations with respect to target an objectives.
- He assesses the staffing conditions.
- He develops new strategies for further improvement of Farm operations.
6. Adoption of Modern Technology: In the modern era, the farm manager must be open to adopting and integrating modern technology, such as precision farming, use of drones, automated irrigation systems, improved seed varieties, and farm management software, to increase productivity, improve resource use efficiency, reduce manual labor, and enhance decision-making through access to real-time data and analysis.
PROBLEMS OF FARM MANAGER
PROBLEMS which a farm manager may face during the course of discharging his duties include you following:
- Inadequate information: He may lack information on where to buy Farm inputs, or acquire information on new innovation and current prices of Farm produce.
- Problem of marketing: He may not know how and where to sell his produce, at what time to sell and at which price to sell to make maximum profits.
- Inadequate Farm inputs: Farm input like seeds, feed, fertilizers and chemicals, may be inadequate, scars and expensive together.
- Financial problems: He may not have enough capital. Banks may not provide loans and produce may not sell at the right price to make more money to reinvest in the business.
- Inadequate personnel: He may not get the right management team to work on the farm. They may be too expensive to employ for the farm.
- Government policies: Bad government policies like importation of food which are also produced by the farm manager may lead to losses, discouragement and may even result in the folding up of the business.
- Transport problems: He may not have a very good vehicle to do the running around, to deliver Farm input and to take Farm produce to the market.
- Administrative problem: He may lack the technical know how, good human relationship with staff, and the condition of his health may affect the performance of his duties.
- Pests and Diseases: Outbreaks of crop pests and animal diseases can rapidly reduce farm output and result in significant financial losses, especially when farm managers lack access to timely information, effective chemicals, or veterinary services, and are forced to deal with infestations using outdated or ineffective control methods.
- Unpredictable Weather and Climate Change: Sudden changes in weather, prolonged droughts, floods, and the long-term effects of climate change pose major risks to farm operations, as they can destroy crops, affect planting schedules, and increase the incidence of pests and diseases, making it difficult for farm managers to plan with confidence and achieve consistent yields
READ ALSO
Revision Questions
- What is farm manager?
- Outline five functions of farm manager.
- Discuss any six problems of farm manager.
- Who is a farm manager, and what is their primary role on a farm?
- State and explain five key functions of a farm manager.
- What are the responsibilities of a farm manager under the production function?
- How does the administrative function contribute to the success of a farm?
- Explain the evaluation function of a farm manager and its importance.
- Identify three problems commonly faced by farm managers in developing agricultural systems.
- Why is decision-making considered a critical aspect of farm management?
- How can accurate record keeping help a farm manager improve productivity and profitability?
- What are the effects of poor infrastructure on farm operations?
- Suggest two ways in which a farm manager can cope with unpredictable weather conditions.
SEE ALSO
Conclusion
In conclusion, the farm manager plays a vital and multifaceted role in the agricultural sector, acting as the central coordinator of all farm activities and responsible for translating available resources into profitable output through careful planning, organizing, supervising, controlling, and decision-making, but despite their best efforts, farm managers often encounter several serious problems, such as lack of capital, labor shortages, unpredictable weather, pests, market instability, and weak infrastructure, all of which must be addressed through investment in training, government support, and technological innovation in order to ensure efficient and sustainable farm production.