Fouriesburg: PRODUCTION MANAGER -APPLES posted by Farm Manager SA

About the Role

We are seeking a highly experienced and skilled Production Manager to join our team at Farm Manager SA in Fouriesburg. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in farm management, apple or stone fruit production, and excellent communication skills.

Key Responsibilities

• To be an inspiration to employees and to set clear standards.
• Apply insect and fungus control to promote production and marketing possibilities and not to hamper it.
• Apply staff management so that staff are motivated and effective.
• Use its vehicles and implements under control properly and maintain good sound maintenance standards.
• Calibration and daily maintenance on board sprayers.
• Correct application of all chemicals, foliar feeds and fertilizers as well as their measurement, management and record keeping.
• Record keeping of chemical room and global gap forms kept up to date from the orchards and provided weekly in the office to the staff responsible for the global gap audit.
• Pre-planning for the bees that are placed in orchards and the aftercare of the bees during the time they work here.
• To be ready to report to management on a weekly basis regarding productions, staff and stock
• Manage stocks of chemicals, foliar feed, fertilizers and packaging materials with extreme care and report as necessary.
• The necessary and timely maintenance of nets, cables, poles, gates, sorting machines, cold rooms and buildings.
• The necessary timely maintenance and restoration of irrigation system.
• The management of the irrigation system with the AquaCheck program as guideline and tool.
• Make sure data loggers of probes’ batteries are charged and that data is loaded on computer every Monday and Friday. Irrigation and rain should also be read into the program weekly
• Make sure probes’ batteries are ready to store data and there should always be spare batteries if a battery is flat.
• Responsible for the expansion, management and maintenance of new and old orchards
• The harvesting process:
• The appointment of staff for the harvesting process and it is crucial that every person appointed is in possession of an RSA id document!
• Training of pickers.
• Make sure that each picker has your picking bag and leather
• Each picker is divided into a picking team.
• Each picker is recorded per team and stays there.
• Forms are given daily to picking teams and the previous day’s are checked with them.
• Maintain order in orchards and give instructions correctly to picking team leaders.
• Hygiene is extremely important -study global gap file in office.
• Achieve goals that senior management sets to pick per day.
• Bins should be checked with the amount of picking bags each day
• Daily repair and maintenance on board tractors and picking trailers (checklists / tractor)
• Drinking water must be available for the pickers.
• Sufficient water in pond for warehouse.
• Accidents handled in orchards and logging
• Make sure every loose worker gets his wage every 2 weeks.
• Make sure tractor drivers have a license and get training before a tractor is given to him.
• Warehousing process:
• Sorting machine should be checked daily.
• Maintenance on sorting machine, monorail, boxing machine, pallet jacks, forks and cold rooms should be done as needed and checked every day as on checklists.
• Cold room should be monitored.
• Old sorting may have to be set up.
• Record keeping of palletizing.
• Unloading of product.
• Intake of packaging material.
• Stocking of packaging material and product must be done daily.
• Staff must get training before packing season starts
• Make sure the right product in right box-Manual is provided by exporter.
• Make sure the staff wear the right clothes.
• Hygiene is again the very important-study global gap file in office.
• SOP file is in packing office

Requirements

• Agricultural Diploma/Degree highly advantageous
• Min of 5 previous years farm management experience
• Min of 5 previous years of apple or stone fruit experience
• Computer literate
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Maintenance and mechanically orientated
• Valid driver’s license

Qualifications

• Formal education/certifications (Bachelor’s, LLB, Matric, etc.)

Salary & Benefits

• Salary will be discussed during the interview process.

Weekly Planning

• Weekly planning must be discussed Monday morning before work or Sunday evenings