What You'll Do

  • Purchase, for further processing or for resale, farm products, such as milk, grains, or Christmas trees.
  • Negotiate contracts with farmers for the production or purchase of farm products.
  • Arrange for processing or resale of purchased products.
  • Arrange for transportation or storage of purchased products.
  • Review orders to determine product types and quantities required to meet demand.
  • Maintain records of business transactions and product inventories, reporting data to companies or government agencies as necessary.
  • Examine or test crops or products to estimate their value, determine their grade, or locate any evidence of disease or insect damage.
  • Coordinate or direct activities of workers engaged in cutting, transporting, storing, or milling products and maintaining records.
  • Estimate land production possibilities, surveying property and studying factors such as crop rotation history, soil fertility, or irrigation facilities.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 3.88/5
Critical Thinking 3.88/5
Speaking 3.75/5
Negotiation 3.62/5
Reading Comprehension 3.5/5
Writing 3.25/5
Judgment and Decision Making 3.25/5
Monitoring 3.12/5
Coordination 3.12/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.12/5
Active Learning 3.0/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.0/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.
  • Organizer: Bringing order to data and processes satisfies you.
  • Maker: Building and fixing energizes you. You like tangible results and practical tools.

Common styles

Dependability, Attention to Detail, Integrity, Self-Confidence, Achievement Orientation

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Oral Expression 4.0/5
Oral Comprehension 3.88/5
Written Comprehension 3.88/5
Near Vision 3.62/5
Speech Clarity 3.62/5
Deductive Reasoning 3.38/5
Written Expression 3.25/5
Problem Sensitivity 3.25/5

Technologies & Tools

Deltek Costpoint Salesforce software Amazon Web Services AWS software Microsoft Access Oracle Database Product producer databases IBM Lotus Notes Microsoft Outlook Enterprise resource planning ERP system Microsoft Dynamics GP SAP software Web browser software Inventory management systems Microsoft Office software Microsoft PowerPoint Purchasing software Atlassian JIRA Microsoft Project Microsoft Excel Google Angular

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Dependability (High importance: 4.61/5)
  • Attention to Detail (High importance: 4.48/5)
  • Integrity (High importance: 4.35/5)
  • Self-Confidence (High importance: 4.29/5)
  • Achievement Orientation (High importance: 4.13/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

Take Free 15-Min Assessment →

How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

Similar Careers to Explore

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

99.6% similar profile

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

99.6% similar profile

Gambling Surveillance Officers and Gambling Investigators

99.4% similar profile

Biomass Power Plant Managers

99.1% similar profile

Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers

99.1% similar profile

First-Line Supervisors of Farming, Fishing, and Forestry Workers

99.1% similar profile

First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers

99.1% similar profile

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

99.0% similar profile

Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Buyer Buying Agent Cattle Broker Cattle Buyer Chicken Buyer Clean Rice Broker Cotton Buyer Cotton Purchasing Agent Cow Buyer Egg Buyer Farm Buyer Farm Product Purchaser Farm Products Purchasing Agent Fruit Buyer Fur Buyer Grain Broker Grain Buyer Grain Market Advisor Grain Marketing Advisor Grain Merchandiser Grain Origination Specialist Grain Purchasing Agent Hide Buyer Hog Buyer Horse Buyer Livestock Broker Livestock Buyer Livestock Commission Agent Livestock Dealer Livestock Purchasing Agent Livestock Speculator Livestock, Grain, Cotton and Other Farm Products Purchasing Agent Produce Broker Produce Buyer Produce Shipper Purchasing Agent Purchasing Buyer Purchasing Specialist Seed Buyer Stock Buyer Tobacco Buyer Wheat Buyer Wool Buyer

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.