Field           Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

 

Registration of skill standards and review of unit standards for Agricultural Resource Maintenance and Agricultural Vehicles and Machinery

 

Subfield

Domain

ID

Agriculture

Agricultural Resource Maintenance

28896, 32012

Agricultural Vehicles and Machinery

28852

 

The Food and Fibre Industry Skills Board has registered 13 skill standards and reviewed the unit standards listed above.

 

Date new versions published                                                                                                          July 2026

 

Planned review date                                                                                               December 2031

 

Summary

 

Muka Tangata People, Food, and Fibre Workforce Development Council consulted with representatives from the arable, irrigation, 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. Development meetings took place between May and December 2025.

 

Responsibility for the above standards was transferred from the WDC to the ISB as a result of the VET reforms.

 

Main changes

 

·     10 skill standards were developed to meet industry need in the areas of arable farming, irrigation, on-farm environmental management, on-farm infrastructure maintenance and agribusiness vehicles.

·     Three unit standards were replaced by three new skill standards.

 

Category C 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

Agricultural Vehicles and Machinery

3

Standard

41277

3

Standard

28896

3

Standard

41277

3

 

Consent to assess has been extended to support continuity of delivery and avoid unnecessary additional applications for providers with existing consent in the relevant domains. Providers remain responsible for ensuring they have access to appropriate agribusiness contexts, resources, workplace procedures, and suitably skilled assessors or verifiers to support valid and authentic assessment against the replacement skill standard.

 

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

 

All changes are in bold.

 

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Agricultural Resource Management

ID

Title

Level

Credit

Review Category

28896

41277

Maintain infrastructure in a primary industry workplace

Carry out infrastructure maintenance in an agribusiness workplace

3

3

5

5

C

 

41279

Carry out on-farm environmental management activities

3

10

NEW

32012

41280

Implement and monitor a farm environment plan

Analyse environmental risks and review a farm environment plan

4

4

10

10

C

 

 

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Agricultural Vehicles and Machinery

ID

Title

Level

Credit

Review Category

41286

Operate specialist agribusiness machinery for an arable farming activity

3

10

NEW

41287

Prepare and confirm global positioning system setup for a tractor carrying out a field activity

3

15

NEW

41288

Use precision agriculture data and technology to carry out an arable farming activity

3

15

NEW

 

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Arable Farming

ID

Title

Level

Credit

Review Category

41273

Carry out seedbed preparation, crop establishment and crop management

3

15

NEW

41274

Implement and monitor a crop growth plan 

4

25

NEW

41275

Develop, implement, and monitor a crop harvesting plan

4

20

NEW

41276

Monitor crop protection plan implementation

4

10

NEW

 

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture > Primary Sector Core Skills

ID

Title

Level

Credit

Review Category

41289

Carry out irrigation system checks and maintenance 

3

15

NEW

41290

Carry out irrigation system operations 

3

25

NEW

 

Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries > Agriculture

ID

Domain

Title

Level

Credit

Review Category

28852

 

 

 

41278

Agricultural Vehicles and Machinery

 

Agricultural Resource Maintenance

Carry out a routine maintenance schedule for vehicles, plant, machinery and equipment in a primary industry workplace

Implement a maintenance schedule for agribusiness infrastructure and equipment

4

 

 

 

4

10

 

 

 

5

C