Farming and fishing

How to become a farm products buyer and purchasing agent

Official title: Farm products buyer and purchasing agent

Also called: Wool buyer, Grain buyer, Purchasing agent, Agricultural and horticultural field representative, Technical field representative, Arable and pastoral representative, Sales agronomist

Farm products buyers and purchasing agents find agricultural products for organisations to use or resell.

Main tasks

Find and buy farm products for businesses
Research and choose new suppliers
Discuss prices and contracts with suppliers
Order goods and services for the farm
Keep track of payments and deliveries
Manage logistics and business operations
Analyse market trends and adjust strategies
Maintain accurate data in systems

How to become one

You usually need experience to become a farm products buyer and purchasing agent and a qualification may be useful. You usually need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Other requirements: experience in similar work; a relevant tertiary qualification in agriculture, business and management, sales and marketing or similar area.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in beekeeping. TEC links this job to study in agriculture. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Apiculture. Usually 10 to 11 months.
Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship in sales. TEC links this job to study in sales and marketing. New Zealand apprenticeship (NZQA level 4). Qualifications: NZ Cert in Distribution, NZ Cert in Retail. Usually 9 to 10 months.
Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in management and business studies. TEC links this job to study in business and management. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Business, Dip in Business Studies, Cert in Business Studies, Dip in Business, Dip in Commerce. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $52,000 a year one year after study and $61,000 five years after; 61% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in agricultural, environmental and soil science. TEC links this job to study in agriculture. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Primary Industry Skills. Usually 4 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $47,000 a year one year after study and $57,000 five years after; 51% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in sales. TEC links this job to study in sales and marketing. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Retail (Customer Service and Sales Support), NZ Cert in Retail. Usually 4 to 6 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $40,000 a year one year after study and $52,000 five years after; 29% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change

Most common pay: $75,000 to $148,000 a year (median $102,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Lower: $57,000 a year · Upper: $202,000 a year
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Decrease (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.

Who does this work

About 900 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).

Questions people ask

How do I become a farm products buyer and purchasing agent?

How much does a farm products buyer and purchasing agent earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $102,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $75,000 to $148,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as a farm products buyer and purchasing agent grown in New Zealand?

It has shrunk: TEC records a decrease in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026