← Certificate III qualifications
Certificate III in Agriculture
AHC - Agriculture, Horticulture and Conservation
Production-focused agriculture qualification. Common pathway for cropping, livestock and broad-acre work.
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
What you will learn
The AHC30122 covers operational agriculture work across cropping, livestock and broad-acre production. Core units include operating tractors and agricultural machinery, handling livestock safely, applying chemicals under AS/NZS 2350 controlled labelling, monitoring water systems and irrigation, and identifying pasture and weed species. Elective streams let you focus on broadacre cropping (cereals, oilseeds), livestock (cattle, sheep, dairy), or mixed enterprise farms. You also study basic farm business records, animal welfare under the relevant state Code of Practice, and biosecurity and quarantine procedures.
Skills you build
- Operating tractors, headers and farm utes safely
- Handling cattle, sheep and other livestock
- Chemical handling and application (ChemCert endorsement)
- Pasture and crop monitoring
- Fencing, yard work and water-trough maintenance
- Animal husbandry (vaccination, drenching, ear-tagging)
- Basic farm business records and biosecurity
How the course runs
Many trainees complete the course through a traineeship while working on a farm, with theory delivered by an RTO via blended online and block release. Full-time TAFE delivery is also available, typically over 12 months with practical placements on partner farms. Around 360 to 480 hours of formal training, mostly hands-on. ChemCert (the chemical handling endorsement) is included as a separate unit in most pathways.
How you will be assessed
- Practical demonstrations on tractors and machinery
- Livestock handling assessments under supervision
- ChemCert (chemical handling) certification assessment
- Written knowledge tests per unit of competency
- Third-party reports from farm supervisors
Workplace and placement
Most students complete the course through a paid traineeship under the Australian Apprenticeships framework, working on a property while studying. Pastoral and Horticulture Award rates apply for traineeship pay. Full-time TAFE students complete supervised placements of around 120 to 200 hours on partner farms. Work is highly seasonal, with long hours during planting, harvest and lambing or calving seasons.
Typical employers
- Family broadacre farming enterprises
- Pastoral cattle and sheep stations
- Dairy farms in Victoria, Tasmania and NSW
- Cropping enterprises in WA, NSW and SA wheatbelts
- Agricultural contracting businesses (spraying, baling, harvest)
- Feedlot and intensive livestock operations
Pay after this qualification
$55,000 - $80,000 per year
Source: https://www.jobsandskills.gov.au/explore-careers/occupation/livestock-farmers. Last reviewed 2026-05-21.
Is this the right course for you?
You probably thrive here if
- You can work outdoors in all weather
- You can handle early starts and long seasonal hours
- You are comfortable around large animals
- You can manage your own time without direct supervision
- You can live and work in rural and remote areas
It is probably not for you if
- You need city amenities and a fixed roster
- You react badly to dust, sun or chemical handling
- You have a back or shoulder condition
- You are not comfortable around livestock or machinery
After you finish
After Cert III you can progress to Certificate IV in Agriculture (AHC40122) for farm supervisor and leading hand roles, or the Diploma of Agribusiness Management (AHC50122) for farm management. Specialist endorsements include AI (artificial insemination), pregnancy testing, helicopter mustering and aerial spraying. Bachelor of Agriculture programs at UNE, La Trobe, Charles Sturt and UQ offer credit for the Cert III toward a degree pathway.