The purpose of this qualification is to provide pastoral livestock farming sectors with individuals who have the skills and knowledge to carry out a range of core tasks relevant to either dairy or meat and/or fibre farming.

This qualification is stranded to recognise the specific skills and knowledge required by the pastoral livestock farming sectors.

The livestock farming industry will benefit by having staff that are able to carry out tasks in a safe, appropriate and effective manner.

This qualification is targeted at people who either have some experience, or who have a desire to work, in the pastoral farming industry, who want to develop their skills and knowledge in dairy farming meat farming and/or fibre farming.

Graduates will be capable of working under limited supervision with responsibility for work outcomes.

Graduates of this qualification will be able to:

- Work as an effective member of a farming team by maintaining own health and wellbeing, communicating with team members and stakeholders, contributing to financial efficiency, and using appropriate technology.
- Assist with soil and pasture management activities in a livestock production context.
- Assist with implementing livestock feeding plans to meet production requirements.
- Assist with mating and parturition of farmed livestock over a mating and parturition season.
- Assist with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of livestock health problems.

Graduates of the Dairy Farming strand will also be able to:
- Milk animals, maintaining hygiene and animal welfare.
- Assist with cleaning and maintaining the milking plant and farm dairy to maintain optimum milk quality.
- Assist with identifying milk quality problems and implementing solutions to those problems.
- Assist with dairy environmental management.
- Assist with young stock rearing.

Graduates of the Meat and/or Fibre Farming strand will also be able to:
- Assist with maintaining agribusiness machinery.
- Carry out young stock husbandry.
- Care for and handle farm working animals.
- Carry out farm fencing.

This qualification may build on the New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2) [Ref: 2218] and may lead to the New Zealand Certificate in Agriculture (Level 4) with strands in Arable Farming, Dairy Farming, Breeding Livestock Farming, and Non-Breeding Livestock Farming [Ref: 2212].

The following legislation and guidelines, and subsequent amendments apply:
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
- Animal Welfare Act 1999
- Resource Management Act 1991
- Animal welfare regulations
- Introduction to the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 Special Guide
- Industry guidelines for environmental management:
- Good Farming Practice: Action Plan for Water Quality 2018
- Environment Strategy and Implementation Plan 2018-22 (Beef + Lamb New Zealand)
- The Deer Industry Environmental Management Code of Practice 2018.