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Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products Occupation Detailed Description

Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

The main tasks and work activities of Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products are to purchase products or services, negotiate contracts with clients or service providers, execute sales or other financial transactions, coordinate logistics or other business operations. In general, for the Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products, speaking, critical Thinking, active Listening, judgment and Decision Making and other 15 skills are required.
Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related ExperienceA considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job TrainingEmployees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
ExampleMany of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, chemists, art directors, and cost estimators.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products jobs. 7.60% of Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products have High School Diploma (or the equivalent) and 76.83% of Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products have Bachelor's Degree and Above.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
7.60%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
7.28%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
8.29%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
76.83%

Tasks and Work Activities of Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

  • Purchase, for further processing or for resale, farm products, such as milk, grains, or Christmas trees.
  • Negotiate contracts with farmers for the production or purchase of farm products.
  • Arrange for processing or resale of purchased products.
  • Arrange for transportation or storage of purchased products.
  • Review orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand.
  • Maintain records of business transactions and product inventories, reporting data to companies or government agencies as necessary.
  • 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.
  • Calculate applicable government grain quotas.
  • Sell supplies, such as seed, feed, fertilizers, or insecticides, arranging for loans or financing as necessary.
  • Estimate land production possibilities, surveying property and studying factors such as crop rotation history, soil fertility, or irrigation facilities.
  • Advise farm groups or growers on land preparation or livestock care techniques that will maximize the quantity and quality of production.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • 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.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesProviding information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside OrganizationCommunicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkDeveloping specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Analyzing Data or InformationIdentifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or PeopleAssessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Purchase products or services.
  • Negotiate contracts with clients or service providers.
  • Execute sales or other financial transactions.
  • Coordinate logistics or other business operations.
  • Calculate data to inform organizational operations.
  • Communicate with government agencies.
  • Maintain data in information systems or databases.
  • Determine the value of goods or services.
  • Supervise employees.
  • Evaluate condition of properties.
  • Advise others on business or operational matters.

Skills and Abilities for Buyers and Purchasing Agents, Farm Products

  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • 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.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • NegotiationBringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • PersuasionPersuading others to change their minds or behavior.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • MathematicsUsing mathematics to solve problems.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • Management of Personnel ResourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • 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.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Mathematical ReasoningThe ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • 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).
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Desktop calculatore.g. 10-key calculators
  • Floor or platform scalese.g. Bulk weighing systems
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Micrometerse.g. Digital micrometers
  • Grain analyzerse.g. Grain testers
  • Notebook computerse.g. Laptop computers
  • Animal weighing scalese.g. Livestock scales
  • Special purpose telephonese.g. Multi-line telephone systems
  • Personal computerse.g. Personal computers
  • Rulerse.g. Precision rulers
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • 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.
  • TransportationKnowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
  • Economics and AccountingKnowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Sales and MarketingKnowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • 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.
  • Food ProductionKnowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
  • Production and ProcessingKnowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Law and GovernmentKnowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • 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.