Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

What the job really is

Purchase farm products either for further processing or resale. Includes tree farm contractors, grain brokers and market operators, grain buyers, and tobacco buyers. May negotiate contracts.

At a glance

• Sector: Business & Financial
• O*NET-SOC code: 13-1021
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Purchase, for further processing or for resale, farm products, such as milk, grains, or Christmas trees.
• Arrange for processing or resale of purchased products.
• Negotiate contracts with farmers for the production or purchase of farm products.
• Arrange for transportation or storage of purchased products.
• Maintain records of business transactions and product inventories, reporting data to companies or government agencies as necessary.
• Review orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand.
• Examine or test crops or products to estimate their value, determine their grade, or locate any evidence of disease or insect damage.
• Coordinate or direct activities of workers engaged in cutting, transporting, storing, or milling products and maintaining records.
• Sell supplies, such as seed, feed, fertilizers, or insecticides, arranging for loans or financing as necessary.
• Advise farm groups or growers on land preparation or livestock care techniques that will maximize the quantity and quality of production.
• Calculate applicable government grain quotas.
• Estimate land production possibilities, surveying property and studying factors such as crop rotation history, soil fertility, or irrigation facilities.

Tools and technology

Amazon Web Services AWS software, Atlassian JIRA, Google Angular, Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Word, Oracle Database, Purchasing software

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Wholesale and Retail Buyers, Except Farm Products
• Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products
• Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers
• Purchasing Managers
• Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products
• Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
• Supply Chain Managers
• Logistics Analysts

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.