Field           Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Registration of skill standards and review of unit standards for Agriculture

Subfield	Domain	ID
Agriculture	Cattle Farming	10082, 19075, 24624
	Dairy Farming	28854, 31947, 32008, 32010, 32011
	Farming Skills	582, 19103, 19115, 28856, 28857, 28858, 28859, 28920, 32089, 32092
	Livestock Husbandry	28971, 28972, 28973, 28974, 28978, 28980, 32009
	On-farm Milk Quality	28855, 28939
	Sheep Farming	581, 19149, 19157, 24644

The Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board has registered 21 skill standards and reviewed the standards listed above.

Date new versions published August 2026

Planned review date December 2031

Summary

Muka Tangata – People, Food, and Fibre Workforce Development Council consulted with representatives from the sheep, beef, deer and dairy industries, and with providers, to develop skill standards as part of the Agriculture Qualification Development Project. These skill standards were developed specifically to align with the requirements of the qualifications and micro-credentials reviewed and developed during that project. Related unit standards were also reviewed and, where appropriate, replaced by new skill standards. Development meetings took place between May and November 2025. 

Responsibility for these standards was transferred from Muka Tangata – People, Food, and Fibre Workforce Development Council to the Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board as a result of the VET reforms.

Main changes

· 22 unit standards were replaced by 18 skill standards.  

· Three skill standards were developed to meet gaps in industry need in the pastoral farming sectors.

· Nine unit standards were expired without replacement.

Category C and D standards will expire at the end of December 2028

Impact on existing organisations with consent to assess

Current consent for			Consent extended to
Nature of consent	Classification or ID	Level	Nature of consent	Classification or ID	Level
Domain	Dairy Farming	3	Standard	41295	3
Domain	Dairy Farming	4	Standard	41296	4
Domain	Farming Skills	3	Standard	41307	3
Domain	Farming Skills	4	Standard	41315	4
Domain	Livestock Husbandry	3	Standard	41298	3
Domain	On-farm Milk Quality	3	Standard	41295	3
Domain	On-farm Milk Quality	4	Standard	41296	4
Domain	Sheep Farming	3	Standard	41309, 41311	3
Standard	32011	3	Standard	41294	3
Standard	19115	3	Standard	41297	3
Standard	28859	4	Standard	41302	4
Standard	32089	3	Standard	41304	3
Standard	32092	3	Standard	41303	3
Standard	28972	3	Standard	41308	3
Standard	28973	3	Standard	41312	3
Standard	19103	3	Standard	41317	3
Standard	28978	3	Standard	41298	3
Standard	28854	3	Standard	41296	3
Standard	32010	3	Standard	41295	3
Standard	581	3	Standards	41309, 41311	3
Standard	24644	3	Standards	41309, 41311	3
Standard	28980	3	Standards	41309, 41311	3

Detailed list of standards – classification, title, level, and credits

All changes are in bold.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Cattle Farming

ID	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
10082	Describe rearing weaner or replacement cattle	3	4	D
19075	Describe calving, and associated diseases and health disorders	3	3	D
24624	Describe cattle genetics and selection	3	5	D

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Dairy Farming

ID	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
31947	Demonstrate knowledge of cow behaviour and reproduction, and perform calculations for artificial insemination	3	3	D
32008 41293	Demonstrate knowledge of dairy effluent systems and assist with dairy effluent management Carry out monitoring and maintenance of a dairy effluent system	3 3	10 5	C
32011 41294	Assist with the operation of a farm dairy for milk harvesting Clean and maintain the farm dairy	3 3	10 10	C

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Farming Skills

ID	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
582	Handle livestock when moving and drafting and when livestock are distressed	3	6	D
19115 41297	Handle and move livestock Handle, move, and assess livestock to maintain animal welfare and safety	3 3	6 5	C
28857 41300	Describe livestock mating management strategies, and implement, monitor and evaluate a livestock mating plan Implement and manage a livestock mating plan	4 4	10 10	C
28858 41301	Describe livestock parturition management strategies, and implement and monitor a farm parturition plan Implement and manage a livestock parturition plan	4 4	10 10	C
28859 41302	Describe pasture production methods, and implement and monitor a pastoral livestock feeding plan Implement, monitor and report on a livestock feeding plan to meet production requirements	4 4	20 20	C
28920	Demonstrate knowledge of factors which contribute to pastoral livestock feed demand	3	5	D
32089 41304	Demonstrate knowledge of, and assist with pasture management practices to maintain quality, growth and utilisation Carry out livestock feed production activities	3 3	10 15	C
32092 41303	Assist with feeding and supplying water to pastoral livestock to meet production targets Supply livestock with feed and water	3 3	5 5	C
41299	Manage and review on-farm biosecurity practices	4	5	NEW
41305	Plan, manage and monitor livestock feed production activities	4	15	NEW
41306	Implement livestock feeding to meet production requirements	3	10	NEW

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Livestock Husbandry

ID	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
28971	Describe livestock reproductive processes and practices	3	5	D
28972 41308	Assist with livestock mating and mating management Prepare livestock for mating and support mating activities	3 3	10 10	C
28973 41312	Assist with livestock parturition Prepare livestock for parturition and monitor parturition activities	3 3	10 10	C
28974	Describe livestock selection for increased productivity	3	4	D
32009 41310	Assist with the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of livestock health problems Carry out livestock health interventions	3 3	16 10	C

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Sheep Farming

ID	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
19149	Describe lambing, and the procedures for assisting ewes having difficulty lambing	3	4	D
19157	Describe sheep genetics, and ram selection	3	5	D

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture

ID	Domain	Title	Level	Credit	Review Category
581 24644 28980 41309 41311	Sheep Farming Sheep Farming Livestock Husbandry Livestock Husbandry Livestock Husbandry	Dock and treat lambs Handle ewes and lambs at lambing Assist with rearing of young stock from birth until first mating, sale or slaughter Care for dams and youngstock from parturition to weaning Rear youngstock from post-weaning to first mating, sale or slaughter	3 3 3 3 3	5 4 10 5 10	C C C
19103 41307	Farming Skills Livestock Husbandry	Describe methods for maintaining on-farm livestock health and health problems of livestock Monitor and maintain livestock health and welfare on farm	3 3	8 5	C
28854 28855 41296	Dairy Farming On-farm Milk Quality Dairy Farming	Manage milk harvesting to optimise efficiency and milking performance outcomes Manage milk harvesting to optimise milk quality on a dairy farm Manage milk harvesting and farm dairy operations to optimise milk quality	4 4 4	10 10 15	C C
28856 41315	Farming Skills Livestock Husbandry	Describe livestock health management strategies, and implement and monitor a livestock health plan Implement and review a livestock health plan	4 4	20 20	C
28939 32010 41295	On-farm Milk Quality Dairy Farming Dairy Farming	Demonstrate knowledge of risks to on-farm milk quality and assist with implementing solutions to milk quality problems Assist with milking, identify and report problems associated with milking dairy livestock Harvest milk while maintaining dairy livestock health and wellbeing	3 3 3	10 10 10	C C
28978 41298	Livestock Husbandry Farming Skills	Demonstrate knowledge of biosecurity relating to livestock Apply on-farm biosecurity practices to minimise biosecurity risks	3 3	4 5	C