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Farm assessor

Farm assessors undertake audits on farmers and growers’ sites to ensure that their practices and produce meets standards required for industry assurance schemes.

Also known as an agricultural inspector.

This profile highlights the skills and knowledge associated with the role. However, jobs will have varying responsibilities depending on level of the role and the size or type of the business.

We've listed employers and recruiters who hire for this role and you can find advice on searching for roles like this inside our Employment Toolkit.

The role of a farm assessor is to capture information from various sources to show how a farmer or grower is meeting welfare, traceability, environmental and quality the standards as set out by the scheme owners.

These include well recognised schemes such as Red Tractor, LEAF and The Soil Association whose logos we see on packaging in our supermarkets.

As a farm assessor, you will be required to plan, conduct and record the delivery of audits that meet customer requirements.

You would be part of a team of assessors who are conducting on-site and remote audits across a range of agricultural and horticultural holdings, although, in general, you would be working on a one-to-one or one-to few-basis. To ensure a high level of service and consistency of audits, new assessors will undertake training via a number of routes, including assessor training academies, industry recognised training - such as the Register of Mobility Scorers course - plus a series of shadow and witness audits, before being ‘signed off’ to undertake audits without supervision. This is to give the assessor the confidence to assess in different scenarios as, although the standards will be the same, the farm situation often differs.

To excel in this role, you will need to be a highly organised self-starter who can arrange and perform audits within required timescales. You should be an excellent communicator to ensure productive relationships between producers, certification bodies and scheme owners.

Assessors may have to speak to producers about concerns around quality, food safety or scheme compliance. You will also need to be skilled in recording and evaluating the key data and information you gather in the format the scheme owner requires and in the agreed timeframe. This aspect of the role requires high levels of IT literacy.

A driving licence is essential as the role will involve travelling to a variety of sites. You may be self-employed for this role or permanently working for one organisation. Some certification bodies will advertise roles while others respond well to speculative applications from well-suited individuals.

This is a rewarding role that could enable you to be a part of ensuring that our natural resources, environment and livestock are protected and valued as part of the food production process. It will also enable the role holder to contribute to the production of safe and traceable food for customers across the UK and beyond.

As a farm assessor your responsibilities might include:

Conducting audits in accordance with both accredited and customer-led standards.
Providing the highest level of service and responsiveness to scheme members being assessed
Ensuring the full audit process is followed for every assessment, including all required elements, such as conducting opening and closing meetings
Accurately completing all reports and paperwork and any other documentation as required within the timelines
Communicating and engaging with members in a confident and professional manner

To work as a farm assessor, you should be:

Able to communicate and engage with all individuals in the supply chain in a confident and patient manner
Enthusiastic and energetic, with a keen eye for detail
Passionate about ensuring standards are being maintained
Able to manage conflict and difficult situations
A confident communicator with great interpersonal skills
Able to manage your own time and meet strict deadlines
Able to demonstrate a flexible approach
Independent and self-motivated

The role would suit someone who is self-motivated, capable of handling conflict and challenging situations, and possesses strong interpersonal skills.

As a farm assessor you will:

Conduct on-farm audits against a comprehensive set of standards, covering areas such as animal welfare, food safety, traceability and environmental protection
Summarise and evaluate audit findings and submit reports in a timely manner
Communicate findings and results of audits with client site management or appropriate client representatives
Establish and maintain effective communication with key team members, including the audit delivery and client teams
Manage your own calendar to schedule and book assessments in
Have general IT skills
Have an interest in agriculture and/or horticulture
Hold a valid driver’s licence

The salary for a farm assessor is in the region of £20,000 to £40,000 per year.

This figure is for a full-time permanent position depending on level of experience, business type and location, however many of the roles in this field are self-employed, giving opportunities to build and utilise skills across the sectors.

Within the agriculture and horticulture sectors there are often many associated benefits that are not reflected in the headline salary. These can include accommodation being provided or subsidised, travel pay, profit shares, vehicle use and production/performance bonuses.

As a farm assessor, you could progress your career if you choose to do so into technical roles or team lead positions with scheme owner or certification bodies.

It could also unlock opportunities across the food supply chain, such as fieldperson roles or non-governmental agencies.

The following qualification are required of farm assessors:

NVQ Level 3 or higher in an Agricultural related subject
Industry led training requirements
Scheme specific training via on-line academy
Continuous Professional Development training in relation to standard changes/industry needs

TIAH Essential Skills

Our online Essential Skills modules can help you develop your skills and knowledge in a range of areas and are a great addition to your CV.

Anyone considering working as a farm assessor in the livestock sector would find our Animal Health and Welfare, Biosecurity and Foundations in Farm Safety courses useful.

Return to our job profiles page for more exciting roles in farming and growing.

Employers and recruiters who hire for this role include:

The employers and recruiters listed below hire for roles like this one. If you would like your business to be listed here, please click the button underneath the logos shown here.