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Agricultural Inspectors Occupation Detailed Description

Agricultural Inspectors career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Agricultural Inspectors

The main tasks and work activities of Agricultural Inspectors are to inspect products or operations to ensure that standards are met, examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems, advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment, maintain operational records. In general, for the Agricultural Inspectors, quality Control Analysis, active Listening, reading Comprehension, monitoring and other 12 skills are required.
Agricultural Inspectors Job Description
EducationThese occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related ExperienceSome previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
ExampleThese occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, and tellers.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Agricultural Inspectors jobs. 56.17% of Agricultural Inspectors have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 12.12% of Agricultural Inspectors have Bachelor's Degree and Above.
Less than a High School Diploma
7.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
56.17%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
12.48%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
12.23%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
12.12%

Tasks and Work Activities of Agricultural Inspectors

  • Inspect agricultural commodities or related operations, as well as fish or logging operations, for compliance with laws and regulations governing health, quality, and safety.
  • Inspect or test horticultural products or livestock to detect harmful diseases, chemical residues, or infestations and to determine the quality of products or animals.
  • Verify that transportation and handling procedures meet regulatory requirements.
  • Collect samples from animals, plants, or products and route them to laboratories for microbiological assessment, ingredient verification, or other testing.
  • Interpret and enforce government acts and regulations and explain required standards to agricultural workers.
  • Write reports of findings and recommendations and advise farmers, growers, or processors of corrective action to be taken.
  • Inspect the cleanliness and practices of establishment employees.
  • Monitor the operations and sanitary conditions of slaughtering or meat processing plants.
  • Inspect food products and processing procedures to determine whether products are safe to eat.
  • Take emergency actions, such as closing production facilities, if product safety is compromised.
  • Monitor the grading performed by company employees to verify conformance to standards.
  • Label and seal graded products and issue official grading certificates.
  • Set standards for the production of meat or poultry products or for food ingredients, additives, or compounds used to prepare or package products.
  • Direct or monitor the quarantine and treatment or destruction of plants or plant products.
  • Inquire about pesticides or chemicals to which animals may have been exposed.
  • Set labeling standards and approve labels for meat or poultry products.
  • Examine, weigh, and measure commodities, such as poultry, eggs, meat, or seafood to certify qualities, grades, and weights.
  • Compare product recipes with government-approved formulas or recipes to determine acceptability.
  • Review and monitor foreign product inspection systems in countries of origin to ensure equivalence to the U.S. system.
  • Provide consultative services in areas such as equipment or product evaluation, plant construction or layout, or food safety systems.
  • Documenting/Recording InformationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with StandardsUsing relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsDeveloping constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or MaterialInspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
  • Inspect products or operations to ensure that standards are met.
  • Examine animals to detect illness, injury or other problems.
  • Advise others on farming or forestry operations, regulations, or equipment.
  • Maintain operational records.
  • Package agricultural products for shipment or further processing.
  • Mark agricultural or forestry products for identification.
  • Direct activities of agricultural, forestry, or fishery employees.
  • Measure physical characteristics of forestry or agricultural products.

Skills and Abilities for Agricultural Inspectors

  • Quality Control AnalysisConducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Operation MonitoringWatching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Perceptual SpeedThe ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Speed of ClosureThe ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Selective AttentionThe ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Auditory AttentionThe ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
  • Sorting machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetablese.g. Agricultural dividers
  • Sample preparation bombse.g. Bacon bomb samplers
  • Grading machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetablese.g. Barley pearlers
  • Mechanical balancese.g. Beam scales
  • Sample holderse.g. Bean sack triers
  • Calibration weights or weight setse.g. Block weights
  • Sorting machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetablese.g. Blust drum samplers
  • Sorting machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetablese.g. Boerner dividers
  • Sorting machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetablese.g. Bulk lot triers
  • Cargo truckse.g. Cargo trucks
  • Calibration weights or weight setse.g. Counterpoise weights
  • Animal shearing or clipping equipmente.g. Dehairing machines
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Digital camerase.g. Digital cameras
  • Sample holderse.g. Diverter samplers
  • Grading machines for seed or grain or dried leguminous vegetablese.g. Dockage testers
  • Sample holderse.g. Double tube bag triers
  • Profile projectorse.g. Electronic mass comparators
  • Sample holderse.g. Ellis cup samplers
  • Mechanical balancese.g. Equal-arm scales
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • ClericalKnowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Public Safety and SecurityKnowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.