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Unit Group

8411 Crop Farm Workers

OSCA - Occupation Standard Classification for Australia
Reference period
2024, Version 1.0

8411 Crop Farm Workers

Perform routine tasks in producing crops such as cereals, cotton, fruit (including wine grapes), grains, mushrooms, nuts, oilseeds, pulses, rice, sugar cane and vegetables.

OSCA skill level

The occupations in this unit group have a skill level corresponding to the qualifications and experience below.

  • Skill Level 4: AQF Certificate II, AQF Certificate III, or at least one year of relevant experience
  • Skill Level 5: AQF Certificate I, or compulsory secondary education
Occupation

841131 Cotton Farm Worker

Performs routine tasks on a cotton farm, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, and planting and irrigating crops. May spray pesticides on crops to treat disease and pests.

Skill level: 4

Main tasks

  • Patrols, inspects and reports on the condition of cotton crops
  • Undertakes soil preparation, cultivation and crop maintenance activities, such as thinning, weeding and hoeing
  • Operates water and irrigation systems for cotton growth
  • Maintains and cleans cotton farming infrastructure and equipment, such as sheds, fences and machinery
  • Bales and packs cotton, and loads it into transporters
  • May spray cotton crops with pesticides to control weed growth, insects, fungus growth and diseases
Occupation

841132 Fruit Farm Worker

Performs routine tasks on a fruit farm, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, and planting, irrigating and pruning crops. May spray pesticides on crops to treat disease and pests.

Specialisation

  • Orchard Worker (Fruit)

Skill level: 5

Main tasks

  • Patrols, inspects and reports on the condition of fruit crops
  • Undertakes soil preparation, cultivation and fruit crop maintenance duties, such as planting, thinning, weeding and hoeing row crops, and pruning and thinning fruit trees and vines
  • Erects growing supports such as trellises, and protective structures such as greenhouses, netting and fences
  • Operates water supply and irrigation systems for fruit crop growth
  • Maintains, cleans and operates fruit farming infrastructure and equipment, such as sheds, fences and machinery
  • May spray trees, vines and other fruit crops with pesticides to control weed growth, insects, fungus growth and diseases
Occupation

841133 Fruit Picker

Harvests fruit, including table grapes, and prepares produce for distribution.

Skill level: 5

Main tasks

  • Selects and picks fruit according to set requirements, and discards rotting or overripened fruit
  • Grades, sorts, bunches and packs fruit into containers for transport
  • Loads containers of fruit into transporters
Occupation

841134 Grain, Oilseed, Pulse and Pasture Farm Worker

Performs routine tasks on a grain, oilseed, protein, pulse or pasture farm, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, and planting and irrigating crops. May spray pesticides on crops to treat disease and pests.

Skill level: 4

Main tasks

  • Patrols, inspects and reports on the condition of grain, oilseed, pulse and pasture crops
  • Undertakes soil preparation and crop maintenance duties, such as ploughing, harrowing and weeding
  • Operates water and irrigation systems for grain, oilseed, pulse or pasture crop growth
  • Siloes and bales produce, and loads it into transporters when required
  • Maintains, cleans and operates grain, oilseed, pulse and pasture farming infrastructure and equipment, such as sheds, fences and machinery
  • May spray crops with pesticides to control weed growth, insects, fungus growth and diseases
Occupation

841135 Mushroom Picker

Harvests mushrooms and prepares produce for distribution.

Skill level: 5

Main tasks

  • Selects and picks mushrooms according to set requirements, and discards rotting or overripened mushrooms
  • Grades, sorts, bunches and packs mushrooms into containers for transport
  • Loads containers of mushrooms into transporters
Occupation

841136 Nut Farm Worker

Performs routine tasks on a nut farm, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, and planting, irrigating and pruning crops. May spray pesticides on crops to treat disease and pests.

Skill level: 5

Main tasks

  • Patrols, inspects and reports on the condition of nut trees
  • Undertakes soil preparation, cultivation and nut tree maintenance duties, such as planting, thinning, weeding and pruning
  • Operates water and irrigation systems for nut tree growth
  • Maintains, cleans and operates nut farming infrastructure and equipment, such as sheds, fences and machinery
  • May spray nut trees with pesticides to control weed growth, insects, fungus growth and diseases
Occupation

841137 Sugar Cane Farm Worker

Performs routine tasks on a sugar cane farm, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, and planting and irrigating crops. May spray pesticides on crops to treat disease and pests.

Skill level: 4

Main tasks

  • Patrols, inspects and reports on the condition of sugar cane crops
  • Prepares soil and plants sugar cane setts using hand tools and farm machines
  • Undertakes cultivation and maintenance duties, such as thinning and weeding sugar cane crops
  • Operates water and irrigation systems for sugar cane crop growth
  • Maintains and cleans sugar cane farming infrastructure and equipment, such as sheds, fences and machinery
  • May spray sugar cane crops with pesticides to control weed growth, pests, fungus growth and diseases
Occupation

841138 Vegetable Farm Worker

Performs routine tasks on a vegetable farm, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, and planting and irrigating crops. May spray pesticides on crops to treat disease and pests.

Skill level: 5

Main tasks

  • Patrols, inspects and reports on the condition of vegetable crops
  • Undertakes soil preparation, cultivation and vegetable crop maintenance duties, such as planting, thinning, weeding and hoeing row crops
  • Erects growing supports such as trellises, and protective structures such as greenhouses and fences
  • Operates water and irrigation systems for vegetable growth
  • Maintains, cleans and operates vegetable farming infrastructure and equipment, such as sheds, fences and machinery
  • May spray vegetable crops with pesticides to control weed growth, insects, fungus growth and diseases
Occupation

841141 Vegetable Picker

Harvests vegetables and prepares produce for distribution.

Skill level: 5

Main tasks

  • Selects and picks vegetables according to set requirements, and discards rotting or overripened vegetables
  • Grades, sorts, bunches and packs vegetables into containers for transport
  • Loads containers of vegetables onto transporters
Occupation

841142 Vineyard Worker

Performs routine tasks on a wine vineyard, such as cultivating and fertilising soil, planting, training and pruning vines, and picking wine grapes.

Fruit Pickers picking table grapes are excluded from this occupation. Fruit Pickers picking table grapes are included in Occupation 841133 Fruit Picker.

Skill level: 4

Main tasks

  • Plants, prunes and sprays vines to establish, maintain and manage the health and growth of wine grapes in vineyards
  • Picks and sorts the wine grapes during harvest season for processing
  • Cultivates and fertilises soil in wine vineyards
  • Monitors wine vineyards for pests and diseases, and takes appropriate action
  • Assists with irrigation and watering of vines
  • Assists with the installation and maintenance of trellises and supports for vines
  • Maintains and repairs wine vineyard equipment and machinery, and performs general maintenance and cleaning in vineyards
Occupation

841199 Crop Farm Workers nec

This occupation group covers Crop Farm Workers not elsewhere classified.

Skill level: 5

Occupations in this group include:

  • Coffee Plantation Worker
  • Cotton and Grain Farm Worker
  • Flower Buncher or Picker
  • Fruit and Vegetable Farm Worker
  • Ginger Farm Worker
  • Hop Farm Worker
  • Tea Tree Farm Worker
  • Turf Farm Worker