Agricultural consultant
Give advice to farmers, landowners and other agricultural staff. They'll consult with you about technical issues, green practices and financial matters.
About the job
What it's like
Advising on machinery, farming methods health and safety and pest control – these are just a few of the things agricultural consultants might do on a daily basis.
In this job you’d offer technical, business and financial advice and information to farmers, landowners and other agricultural staff.
If a client came to you with a problem you would typically collect information and data to help analyse the problem. This might involve soil sampling, crop sampling. You’d then develop a solution, plan and implement improvements for the client, while also meeting agricultural practice standards.
In this job, you're likely to:
meet clients to find out about their business or technical requirements
help with business planning, planning applications, grant applications, legislative advice and new business ventures
organise and conduct field trials to find solutions to your clients' problems
prepare reports to analyse and outline findings
provide specialist advice on climate change-related measures
recommend ways farmers can save water, such as drip irrigation or rainwater harvesting
manage pesticides and fertilisers to reduce chemical runoff into local waterways and lower pollution
offer advice on how agricultural workers can manage waste in a green way
write leaflets, technical documents and press releases and articles
completing planning applications
visit farms to carry out analysis and collect data
keep up to date with relevant developments in agriculture, for example the use of drones to monitor crop growth
provide specialist advice on climate change related measures and conservation
Green job
In this job you'll be doing work to help the environment. Find out more about green jobs.
Explore more information about this job
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- analysing
- time management
- developing a plan
- attention to detail
- researching
- evaluating
- written communication
- verbal communication
- building relationships
- persevering
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Biology
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Chemistry
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Engineering Science
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Geography
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Maths (Mathematics)
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Skills for Work: Rural Skills
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Scientific Technologies (Laboratory Skills)
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Applications of Mathematics
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you’ll need.
There are a number of ways to get qualified for this job, through college, university or work-based qualifications, such as apprenticeships.
Many agricultural consultants will have studied at HND or degree level in agricultural or environmental related fields such as:
agricultural engineering
horticulture
plant/soil science
environmental science
animal or biological science
forestry
You'd also normally need to have experience in an area such as estate management or a specialism such as agronomy (crop production and soil management). There are postgraduate courses to allow specialism in various areas, such as soil or poultry.
Modern agriculture involves both the land and environment and business planning and management. As a consultant it can be useful to gain qualifications and experience in both areas.
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements. They might ask for relevant experience, usually work-based, that demonstrates a range of transferable skills. A full clean driving licence is helpful to have.
You may need to be prepared to move around the UK for job opportunities.
In addition to general recruitment websites, jobs will be advertised on websites such as Farmers Guardian, Farmers Weekly and The Scottish Farmer. It may be of value to join BIAC, British Institute of Agriculture Consultants. If you have an established network you may choose to become self-employed.
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