The broadacre cropping, pastures and seed production sectors are undergoing a range of new challenges, which has resulted in a new work methods and skills needs. These include rapid technological advancements, changing product markets and climate ecosystems, evolving global priorities and trade opportunities, demographic movements and numerous other social and economic changes.

Broadacre farmers and seed producers are adopting new production techniques with the potential for higher yields. In addition, farmers need improved capabilities to use new digital technology applications while adapting to climate ecosystems.

Broadacre cropping (which includes cereals, oilseeds, rice, grain legumes, pulses, cotton, pasture, forage, hay and silage) is exposed to a range of factors that affect the productivity and profitability of crops and pastures grown in Australia. Seed quality and selection is one of these. Seed producers need skills and knowledge on biosecurity, to produce seed that is free from diseases and pests. Seed producers also need expertise to selectively breeding varieties of seed for specific characteristics, to offer more sustainable products that perform better in specific environments.

The review of skills standards for broadacre cropping and seed production was identified as a key skill priority in the Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation and Land Management IRC Skills Forecast and Proposed Schedule of Work 2019-2022 (see page 3).

The Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) approved this project, out of the 2020 Annual Update to the IRC Skills Forecast (see pages 63-65).

The Agriculture and Production Horticulture Industry Reference Committee (IRC) will oversee this project as part of their responsibility to support engagement with the sector, and to ensure the project meets industry stakeholder needs.

Skills Impact will manage this project, consistent with the  2012 Standards for Training Package Development.

Download Project Proposal (see pages 63-65)

Australian farmers contribute significantly to global food security and it all starts with the skills to produce and farm quality crops and seed. Farmers and seed producers are responding to increasing global demand for food and fibre, and challenges brought about by changing environmental conditions. They are drawing on the latest technology and science to grow crops which are drought resistant, higher yielding and more nutritious. As science evolves and new technologies are discovered, the skills to produce broadacre crops, pastures and seed are changing. This project will look at job roles in these vital industry sectors to define the unique skills and changing work methods in updated national qualifications and skills standards.

Project Scope

This project will review the existing units of competency and qualifications related to broadacre  cropping, pastures and seed to define current work techniques and practices. The unit sectors will include:

• Broad Acre Cropping (AHCBAC)
• Seed Production (AHCSDP)
• Seed Processing (AHCSDT)
• Seed Testing (AHCSPO)

This project will not cover the skills standards for production cropping, which were revised as part of the Horticulture Technology Project in 2019 (read more).

Relevant Occupations

• Farmer and Farm Manager
• Crop Farmer
• Crop Farm Worker
• Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Worker
• Grain, Oilseed or Pasture Farm Worker
• Seed Collection Handler and/or Seed Production Worker
• Seed Processing Operator
• Seed Testing Technician

Industry Sectors

• Cereal (wheat, barley, triticale, millet, corn and oats)
• Grain legumes and pulses
• Rice (including wild rice in Northern Aust)
• Oilseed (canola, safflower, soya beans, sunflower)
• Cotton
• Forage crops (brassica, maize, sorghum)
• Pasture and seed production (lucerne, clover, ryegrass)
• Poppy and industrial hemp production

Timeline

September/October 2020
Initial scoping

November/December 2020
Development of draft qualifications, skill sets and units

January/February 2021
Drafts available for broad consultation

April/May 2021
Validation of final drafts

June 2021
Finalisation of Training Package components

July/August 2021
Independent Quality Assurance, and Edit and Equity review of Training Package components

September 2021
IRC consideration for sign-off and submission for endorsement

The broadacre cropping sector is drawing on the latest technology and science to grow crops and pastures that are drought resistant, higher yielding and more nutritious. A range of factors affect the productivity and profitability of crops and pastures grown in Australia. Seed quality and selection is one important factor. Seed producers are experts at selectively breeding varieties of seed for specific characteristics, to offer more sustainable products that perform better in specific environments. The skills in seed processing and testing are integral to protecting Australia’s biosecurity, supplying farmers with seed that is free from disease, organisms and pests. Digital technologies are also driving innovations in this sector and introducing the need for skills to interpret, operate and manage new technologies. Mapping technology, RADAR and stereoscopic sensors, LIDAR, GPS and satellite imagery are being used to record the volume, mass and moisture of crops, and to assess crop performance and soil characteristics. These technologies support farmers to improve decision-making and planning, boosting yields and profitability. As science evolves and new technologies are discovered, the skills to produce broadacre crops, pastures and seed are changing. This project is looking at job roles in these vital industry sectors to define the unique skills and changing work methods in updated national qualifications and skills standards.

Experts in the sector are being engaged to help inform the content for the draft units of competency. A subject matter expert working group has also been identified and they will be convening at the end of November 2020. They are being consulted on ways to revise the existing existing skills standards to reflect modern practices and the skills to interpret, operate, and manage new technologies.

Development outcomes and next steps

Broad stakeholder consultation is scheduled to commence in January 2021, when draft units will be made available for feedback on this webpage. Your input is welcome, please feel free to register your interest to keep informed of project updates and when draft materials are available for feedback by following the newsletter subscription link below.

Broadacre farmers and seed producers are drawing on the latest technology and science to respond to increasing global demand for food and fibre, and to produce crops that are drought resistant, higher yielding, and more nutritious. Australian farmers contribute significantly to global food security and the skills in seed processing and testing are integral to protecting Australia’s biosecurity, supplying farmers with seed that is free from disease, organisms and pests. The skills in this sector are changing, as science evolves and new technologies are discovered. Farmers are drawing on mapping technology, RADAR and stereoscopic sensors, LIDAR, GPS and satellite imagery to record the volume, mass and moisture of crops, and to assess crop performance and soil characteristics.

The qualifications and skills standards for broadacre cropping, pastures and seed have been reviewed in consultation with subject matter experts. Several of the units of competency have been revised to reflect the skills needed to work with the latest technology and processes. Subject matter experts have also shared their insights as to why some qualifications and units may have received low enrolments in recent years. They have made recommendations for where units can be merged to better reflect current skills needs. They have also suggested that the skills for seed production, processing and testing could be better supported by adding a specialisation or stream of study for ‘Seeds’ within the Certificate III in Agriculture, and the stand alone qualifications then deleted. The Certificate III in Agriculture is not currently under review, but it is proposed for revision as part of project work in 2021-2022.

An additional unit for processing planting seed was made available for feedback from 23 April –  4 June 2020. This unit is an amalgamation of a number existing units. Feedback from industry stakeholders on the draft skills standards that were available between 2 February – 21 March 2021 suggested the need to amalgamate these seed processing units into a single unit, as the original units did not reflect actual industry practice. The amalgamation of these tasks better captures how job roles are performed and will make it easier to provide training for these skills.

You can still view the unit via the link below.

The broadacre farming and seed production sectors are harnessing the latest technology and science to meet increasing global demand for food and fibre, and the need for crops that are drought resistant, higher yielding, and more nutritious. The skills for working in this area are changing, with mapping technology, RADAR and stereoscopic sensors, LIDAR, GPS and satellite imagery being used to record the volume, mass and moisture of crops, and to assess crop performance and soil characteristics. It is important that skills in seed processing and testing are up to date, to protect Australia’s biosecurity and supply farmers with seed that is free from disease, organisms and pests.

Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the final draft qualifications and skills standards that were made available for validation and comment from 31 May to 17 June 2021. You can still view the documents and any comments made below.

Summary of feedback and key changes

The final drafts incorporated feedback that was received on the initial drafts that were made available between 2 February and 21 March 2021, under the ‘Drafts Available’ stage. During this time, feedback was collected via the online feedback hub, webinars, and via phone call and email. The qualification, skill set and units were drafted with guidance from Subject Matter Experts, made up of workplace experts and industry. The vast amount of feedback collected online and over the phone, at a time when face to face meetings have been severely limited, is a testament to industry’s passion for skills development. The feedback is fundamental to improving the national skills standards.

The following key changes have been made to the drafts:

• Thirty three units revised or developed to reflect current industry practices, terminology and equipment.
• Five qualifications proposed for deletion due to having no enrolments in recent years. The request to add a seeds specialisation or stream to another agriculture qualification will be proposed as part of a future project, to address the need for these skills within a qualification.
• Twenty nine units are proposed for deletion for a variety of reasons, including due to there being no enrolments, or because they duplicate another unit, or because they will be merged with another existing unit. Examples of merged units include:
  • Creation of a proposed unit for processing planting seed, which merges the skills captured by five previous units
  • Creation of a proposed unit for performing advanced tests on seeds, which merges the skills captured by seven existing units
  • Creation of a proposed unit for performing quality tests on seeds, which merged AHCSDT303 Perform a fluorescence test on seeds and AHCSDT304 Perform a seed purity analysis.

A description of how feedback has been considered and applied in these final drafts can be downloaded below. Please click the ‘Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions’ button.

Download Summary of Feedback, Responses and Actions