Description:
About Us
Howe Farming is a large family owned company and we have a number of farms strategically located on the Atherton Tablelands in North Queensland. Howe Farming grows a number of crops including avocados, bananas, coffee, sugarcane and other crops.
POSITION: Agricultural Technician (ANZSCO 311111)
The Agricultural Technician provides leadership, strategic vision, and technical, planning and delivery oversight to the implementation of the Howe Farming Enterprise manual.
Howe Farming is passionate about providing a consistent, reliable line of quality Cavendish Bananas to the Australian Market.
Our family is committed to a sustainable earth and we continue to look for better processes to implement and to ensure smaller footprint on the planet.
Indicative Skill Level:
36 months relevant experience
Tasks Include:
- Examine the topographical, physical and soil characteristics of Howe Farming lands to determine its most effective utilisation and identify any nutrient deficiencies. This will also include banana industry agro-technical processes of:
- checking whether plants are well irrigated;
- carrying out checks on general health of plants on a regular basis throughout the year and seasons; and
- de-leafing & de-suckering: to ensure better quality of produce and production output; as well as preservation and good health of a mother plant; and a control of growth and health of the follower plant, so the growth & cultivation processes are uninterrupted and production output levels from any given plant are high.
- Assist in developing new methods of planting, fertilising, harvesting, processing and transporting crops to achieve optimum land usage.
- assisting in methods of control of red-spider infestations when and where required;
- assisting in dealing with borer (banana weaver) and either increase or decrease levels of treatment of plants depending on levels of outbreaks;
- assist in dealing with sigatoka outbreaks and other banana fruit deceases and outbreaks.
- as part of the agro-technical team you will speak with agronomists and soil monitoring personal visiting the farm whenever and wherever required in conjunction with management, to provide information and identify the areas of problem and spread of disease, if necessary, and assist in implementation of quarantine plans when required;
- bagging: an agro-technical process of checking for diseases and fruit quality and growth of fruit monitoring.
- bell-injecting.
- Identify pathogenic micro-organisms and insects, parasites, fungi and weeds harmful to crops, and assist in devising methods of control. This will include and will not be limited to:
- Analyse produce to set and maintain standards of quality.
- Inspect plants to gauge the effectiveness of feed formulae. This will include agro-technical banana industry processes and will not be limited to:
- Keep up to date maintenance service records as required, check deliveries and maintain crop records.
- Maintain and follow all procedures associated with waste management and compost production.
- Install new drip and sprinkler system.
- Set and maintains times on computer and electronic valve clocks; troubleshoots computerized electronic systems, irrigation controllers, solenoid valves, and heads of all types.
- Maintain the irrigation equipment.
- Follow Quarantine and Bio-security procedures.
Other requirements:
- Experience in living in rural, agricultural regions and/or remote locations for lengthy periods of time desirable
- Excellent work ethic and reliability is required
- Willingness to learn on the job and commitment to 2 year of full-time employment with Howe Farming.
Salaried, full time positions: $70k – 80k
*Australian residents and citizens encouraged to apply