Problems And Functions Of Farm Manager JSS1 Agricultural Science Lesson Note

FUNCTIONS OF A FARM MANAGER

The functions of a farm manager can be grouped into five major headings:  (a) Organisation (b) Administration (c) Production (d) Marketing and (e) Evaluation.

(a)    Organisation

(i)     The farm manager secures suitable land for farming.

(ii)    He determines what to produce.

(iii)   He determines the scale of production.

(iv)   He procures loans or capital for farming.

(v)    recruits or employs labour or workers for the farm.

(vi)   He decides on which enterprise(s) to undertake, given the available resources, e.g. fish farming, rice production, etc.

(b)   Administration

(i)     A farm manager supervises the work on the farm.

(ii)    He arranges work roasters.

(iii)   He directs staff on day-to-day activities.

(iv)   He makes arrangements for staff welfare.

(v)    He rewards or disciplines staff according to their performance.

(vi)   He organizes the training of manpower on the farm.

(vii)  He maintains good labour relations to avoid the disruption of farm activities.

(viii) He acquaints himself with government agricultural policies for opportunities and constraints they pose on the farm.

(c)    Production

(i)     A farm manager is responsible for the purchase and use of farm inputs.

(ii)    He ensures the health of animals/crops on the farm.

(iii)   He makes arrangements for the general security of the farm.

(iv)   He ensures an adequate supply of feeds.

(v)    He adheres to modern farming techniques.

(vi)   He avoids waste by efficient use and maintenance of farm resources.

(vii)  He combines resources to yield optimum profit.

(viii) He sets production targets and wage levels.

(d)   Marketing

(i)     The farm manager determines the quantity of produce to sell.

(ii)    He determines the best marketing channel to use to make maximum profits.

(iii)   He determines when to sell to make maximum profit.

(iv)   He determines at what price to sell.

(v)    He may also be responsible for the processing of farm produce.

(vi)   He monitors marketing trends to decide on commodities to produce on his farm.

(vii)  He arranges for the storage and warehousing of unsold produce.

(e)    Evaluation

(i)     He keeps the general records of the farm.

(ii)    He supervises accounts and bookkeeping of all operations on the farm.

(iii)   He analyses farm operations with respect to targets and objectives.

(iv)   He assesses the staffing conditions.

(v)    He develops new strategies for further improvement of farm operations.

Questions

State five functions of a farm manager.

Explain the following,

Organization.

Administration.

Problems of a Farm Manager

Problems that a farm manager may face while discharging his duties include:

(1) Inadequate Information:  He may lack information on where to buy farm inputs, or acquire information on innovations, current prices of farm produce, etc.

(2)  Problems 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 profit.

(3)  Inadequate Farm Input:  Farm inputs like seeds, feed, fertilizers, chemicals, etc, may be inadequate, scarce, and expensive to get.

(4)  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.

(5)  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.

(6)  Government Policies:  Bad government policies like the importation of food which is also produced by the farm manager may lead to losses, and discouragement and may even result in the folding up of the business.

(7)  Transport Problems:  He may not have a vehicle to do the running around, to deliver farm input, and to take farm produce to the market.

(8)  Administration Problems:  He may lack the technical know-how, and good human relationship with staff, and the condition of his health may affect the performance of his duties.