Farm Manager – Cato Ridge
Agriculture and Environmental ~ General Management
KZN
Overview
A 20-hectare agricultural operation in Cato Ridge focusing on high-value crops.
Our client is looking for a hands-on, strategic Farm Manager to oversee all aspects of production, labour, infrastructure, and compliance, ensuring efficient and profitable operations.
Key Responsibilities
Crop Production Management
- Plan and manage the tunnel systems, including pruning, pest management, fertigation, harvesting, and scheduling.
- Oversee open-field cultivation, managing rotations, input programs, and labour cycles.
- Ensure optimal use of fertilizer and irrigation systems (including drip irrigation and fertigation tanks).
Honey & Pollination
- Manage the integration of beehives for pollination and honey production.
- Oversee honey harvesting, processing, and bottling in a hygienic and compliant manner.
- Explore potential pollination services for other farms.
Packhouse & Post-Harvest Oversight
- Supervise the packhouse (18m x 30m): from receiving to grading, cold storage, dispatch, and traceability.
- Ensure compliance with food safety and hygiene protocols in packing, processing, and storage.
- Manage value-added product lines (e.g., jams, juices, sundried tomatoes).
Infrastructure & Equipment
- Coordinate maintenance of irrigation pumps, packhouse machinery, cold room (10m x 6m), and farm vehicles.
- Oversee daily use of tractors, electric carts, and tools within tunnels and fields.
Water & Environmental Management
- Operate within the Water Use License conditions and manage inline dam storage (including 3rd dam once approved).
- Monitor borehole use, irrigation scheduling, and water efficiency across crops.
Labour Management
- Recruit, supervise, and train permanent and seasonal farm workers.
- Maintain productivity, task delegation, and compliance with 200-day labour cycles.
- Foster a safe and positive working environment.
Record Keeping & Reporting
- Keep daily, weekly, and monthly records on yield, input use, labour, and sales.
- Work closely with the owner on budget tracking (R10 million budget), timelines, and compliance.
Qualifications & Experience
- Degree/Diploma in Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness, or related field.
- Minimum 10 years of farm management experience, ideally with high-value crops.
- Strong understanding of tunnel farming, fertigation, irrigation systems, and cold chain logistics.
- Knowledge of value-added processing, honey production, or small-scale agri-processing is a plus.
- Experience managing packhouse and export processes (especially blueberries) is an advantage.
Key Skills
- Excellent organizational and leadership skills
- Problem-solving and adaptive thinking
- Understanding of farm budgets and input planning
- Proficiency in basic tech (Excel, farm software, WhatsApp, drone apps a plus)
- Communication and people management
- Experience managing automated fertigation systems
