Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers the supervision of agricultural crop harvesting and defines the standard required to: establish strategies, procedures and controls for crop harvesting, including fire prevention and control plans; negotiate and arrange contracts and agreements; estimate crop yields; maintain budgetary controls; assess crop maturity and quality in readiness for harvesting; arrange storage and delivery requirements; and segregate grain for quality and monitor for moisture content.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to farm managers and harvest supervisors whose work is likely to be carried out under broad supervision.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Prepare for harvesting

1.1. Crop maturity and quality is assessed in readiness for harvesting.

1.2. Pre-harvest treatments for the control and eradication of pests are determined and carried out according to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements.

1.3. Requirements for licences or permits are identified and complied with.

1.4. Insurance requirements are assessed and risk management strategies planned and implemented as required.

2. Determine harvest strategy

2.1. Optimum timing to carry out harvest is estimated and calculated according to crop maturity assessment.

2.2. Resource requirements are assessed giving consideration to the size of the crop and estimated timing of harvest.

2.3. Labour and equipment required to carry out harvesting operations is confirmed and arranged within budgetary constraints.

2.4. Requirements for fire prevention and control are identified and arranged according to OHS requirements.

3. Coordinate the harvest strategy

3.1. Effective communication strategies are implemented to ensure smooth workflow operations and personnel safety.

3.2. Harvesting operations are implemented and adjusted as required according to weather, equipment and staff requirements.

3.3. Equipment operation is coordinated for maximum efficiency and monitored for performance effectiveness.

3.4. Existing and potential hazards are identified and controlled according to OHS and enterprise requirements.

4. Complete harvest operation

4.1. Storage resources are located for efficient operations and strategies for drying grain are identified, if necessary, according to marketing initiatives.

4.2. Quality of grain is segregated to marketing grades and monitored for moisture content according to classification standards.

4.3. Harvesting operations and outcomes are evaluated against harvest strategy.

4.4. Relevant information is documented for continual analysis and effective planning management.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• organise and schedule the maintenance of plant and equipment
• establish strategies, procedures and controls for crop harvesting
• negotiate and arrange contracts and agreements
• implement safe workplace and positive environmental practices
• deal with weather and other contingencies
• use literacy skills to read, interpret and follow organisational policies and procedures, develop sequenced written instructions, record accurately and legibly information collected, and select and apply procedures to a range of tasks
• use oral communication skills/language competence to fulfil the job role as specified by the organisation, including questioning, active listening, asking for clarification, negotiating solutions and responding to a range of views
• use numeracy skills to estimate, calculate and record routine and more complex workplace measures and data
• use interpersonal skills to work with others and relate to people from a range of cultural, social and religious backgrounds and with a range of physical and mental abilities.

Required knowledge 

• crop maturity and yield potential
• grain or seed quality
• functions and limitations of harvesting equipment
• crop measurement techniques and parameters
• market information and sources
• location and relative skills and abilities of available contractors
• weather conditions which may affect the harvest
• relevant legislation, codes of practice and enterprise requirements for OHS, contractor engagement, environment and pesticides
• environmental controls and codes of practice applicable to harvesting operations
• supervisor responsibilities in managing the safety of a workplace.

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to workplace operations and satisfy holistically all of the requirements of the performance criteria and required skills and knowledge and include achievement of the following:

• establish strategies, procedures and controls for crop harvesting, including fire prevention and control plans
• negotiate and arrange contracts and agreements
• estimate crop yields
• maintain budgetary controls
• assess crop maturity and quality in readiness for harvesting
• arrange storage and delivery requirements
• segregate grain for quality and monitor for moisture content.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Competency requires the application of work practices under work conditions. Selection and use of resources for some worksites may differ due to the regional or enterprise circumstances.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole.

The range of agricultural crops includes:

• wheat and coarse grains
• cotton
• grain legumes
• oilseeds
• sugar
• temperate and tropical pastures.

Unit sector 

Broadacre cropping

Co-requisite units 

Competency field