Problems and Functions of Farm Manager – JSS1 Agricultural Science Lesson Note (Third Term)

A farm manager is the person who plans, organises and controls the running of a farm and makes the decisions that keep it working.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. State the five major functions of a farm manager.
2. Explain organisation and administration as functions of a farm manager.
3. List the duties of a farm manager under production, marketing and evaluation.
4. State the problems a farm manager may face.
5. Explain how any two of these problems affect the running of a farm.

What is a farm manager?

A farm manager is a person who organises land, labour, capital and inputs so that a farm makes a profit.

• Owner-manager: the farmer who owns the farm and also runs it, as on most small family farms in Nigeria.
• Employed manager: a person hired by the owner to run the farm, as on a large poultry or plantation farm.
• Farm inputs: things used in farming, such as seeds, feed, fertiliser, chemicals and tools.
• Enterprise: a single farming activity, such as fish farming, rice production or poultry keeping.

What are the functions of a farm manager?

A farm manager has five major functions: organisation, administration, production, marketing and evaluation.

What is organisation as a function of a farm manager?

Organisation is the work of setting up the farm and bringing together the resources needed to start production.

• Land: the manager secures suitable land for farming.
• Choice of product: he determines what to produce.
• Scale: he determines the size or scale of production.
• Capital: he procures loans or capital for farming.
• Labour: he recruits or employs workers for the farm.
• Enterprise: he decides which enterprise or enterprises to undertake, given the available resources, such as fish farming or rice production.

What is administration as a function of a farm manager?

Administration is the work of directing and looking after the workers so that farm tasks are carried out well.

• Supervision: he supervises the work on the farm.
• Work roster: he arranges work rosters so that each worker knows his duty.
• Direction: he directs staff on day-to-day activities.
• Welfare: he makes arrangements for staff welfare.
• Reward and discipline: he rewards or disciplines staff according to their performance.
• Training: he organises the training of manpower on the farm.
• Labour relations: he maintains good relations with workers to avoid disruption of farm activities.
• Government policies: he learns about government agricultural policies, to know the opportunities and limits they bring to the farm.

What are the production duties of a farm manager?

Production duties cover everything that goes into growing crops and rearing animals on the farm.

• Inputs: he is responsible for the purchase and use of farm inputs.
• Health: he ensures the health of animals and crops on the farm.
• Security: he makes arrangements for the general security of the farm.
• Feed supply: he ensures an adequate supply of feeds.
• Modern methods: he follows modern farming techniques.
• Avoiding waste: he uses and maintains farm resources efficiently.
• Combining resources: he combines resources to give the best profit.
• Targets: he sets production targets and wage levels.

What are the marketing duties of a farm manager?

Marketing duties cover the sale of farm produce in a way that gives the farm the highest profit.

• Quantity: he determines the quantity of produce to sell.
• Channel: he determines the best marketing channel to use for maximum profit.
• Time: he determines when to sell for maximum profit.
• Price: he determines the price at which to sell.
• Processing: he may also be responsible for the processing of farm produce.
• Market trends: he watches marketing trends to decide which commodities to produce.
• Storage: he arranges storage and warehousing of unsold produce.

What are the evaluation duties of a farm manager?

Evaluation is the checking of farm operations to find out whether the farm is meeting its targets.

• Records: he keeps the general records of the farm.
• Accounts: he supervises accounts and bookkeeping of all operations on the farm.
• Analysis: he compares farm operations with the targets and objectives set.
• Staffing: he assesses the staffing conditions.
• New strategies: he develops new plans for further improvement of farm operations.

What problems does a farm manager face?

A farm manager faces eight main problems: inadequate information, marketing, inputs, finance, personnel, government policies, transport and administration.

1. Inadequate information: he may lack information on where to buy inputs, on new methods, or on current prices of farm produce.
2. Problems of marketing: he may not know how, where, when and at what price to sell to make maximum profit.
3. Inadequate farm inputs: seeds, feed, fertilisers and chemicals may be inadequate, scarce and expensive to get.
4. Financial problems: he may not have enough capital, banks may not give loans, and produce may not sell at a price that allows him to reinvest.
5. Inadequate personnel: he may not get the right management team, or they may be too expensive to employ.
6. Government policies: bad policies, such as importing food that the farm also produces, may cause losses and discouragement. They may even close the business.
7. Transport problems: he may have no vehicle to bring in farm inputs and to carry produce to the market.
8. Administration problems: he may lack technical know-how or good relations with staff, and poor health may affect his duties.

How do these problems affect a farm?

• Shortage of capital: the manager cannot buy enough inputs or hire workers, so production stays small.
• Scarce inputs: planting or feeding is delayed, so yields fall.
• Poor transport: perishable produce such as tomatoes and eggs may spoil before it reaches the market.
• Lack of market information: produce may be sold too cheaply, so profit is low.
• Poor staff relations: work may stop or be done badly, which disrupts farm activities.

How can a farm manager reduce these problems?

• Get information: ask agricultural extension workers and follow market prices.
• Raise capital: apply for loans or join a cooperative society.
• Train staff: train workers and treat them fairly.
• Plan ahead: buy inputs early and arrange storage and transport before harvest.

Evaluation

1. State the five functions of a farm manager.
2. Explain organisation and administration as functions of a farm manager.
3. State five problems a farm manager may face.
4. List four evaluation duties of a farm manager.

Assignment

List the duties of a farm manager under marketing. Then explain any two problems a farm manager may face.