Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit covers providing advice on agronomic products and defines the standard required to: retain technical currency in all aspects of agronomy relevant to the client group; engage with and give advice to customers; ensure that the advice and product type are applicable and suitable for the purpose and growing environment of the client; encourage add on sales; organise trials of agronomic products and distribute results to clients; represent the enterprise in a professional manner when dealing with customers.

Application of the unit 

This unit applies to rural products merchandisers whose job role includes providing advice on agronomic products including fertilisers.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

1. Identify customer needs

1.1. Appropriate interpersonal skills are used to accurately identify customer needs.

1.2. Customer enquiries are handled courteously and promptly in accordance with enterprise procedures and industry requirements.

1.3. Available products are matched to customer needs and against ecological considerations.

1.4. Knowledge and understanding of agronomic products is actively and regularly researched and updated from authoritative sources.

2. Provide product advice

2.1. Advice that addresses customer needs is provided to customers in a timely and professional manner.

2.2. Products that may meet customer needs are appropriately exhibited to customer.

2.3. Alternative and additional products and services are suggested as necessary.

2.4. Customers concerns and questions are addressed sensitively in line with enterprise requirements.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

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

Required skills 

• assess and demonstrate cost benefits of fertilisers
• research supplier information
• safely lift, carry and handle products
• identify basic nutritional deficiencies and plants and animals
• 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 

• customer service techniques
• systems and procedures for the safe handling of products
• enterprises business values, structure, products and services
• industry terminology for products
• requirements of local or specific customers
• relevant requirements of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS), industry, fair trading, trade practices, sales of goods, environment and public liability legislation
• crop seeds requirements of local customers
• basic crop cultivation techniques
• fertilisers types and analyses
• climate and growing conditions generally
• relevant components of State/Territory Acts relating to fertilisers and certified seeds.

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:

• retain technical currency in all aspects of agronomy relevant to the client group
• engage with and give advice to customers
• ensure that the advice and product type are applicable and suitable for the purpose and growing environment of the client
• encourage add on sales
• organise trials of agronomic products and distribute results to clients
• represent the enterprise in a professional manner when dealing with customers.

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 agronomic products may include:

• Fertilisers:

• Urea
• superphosphate
• lime
• blood and bone
• potash
• mixed fertilisers
• trace elements
• specialty fertilisers.

• Crop and seeds:

• Cereal crop including wheat
• oats
• barley
• triticale
• grey peas
• maize lupins
• others appropriate to local district.

• Fodder and forage crops:

• choumoullier
• turnips
• swede
• rape
• others appropriate to local district.

• Pasture species:

• legumes
• annual, perennial and short rotation grasses
• native pasture species
• others appropriate to local district.

Unit sector 

Merchandising and sales

Co-requisite units 

Competency field