Production Manager - Fertigation & Crop Protection

About the role

Waterberg Berries is seeking an experienced Fertigation & Crop Protection Manager to join its Production team. Reporting to the Farm General Manager, the role plans, implements and monitors fertigation, irrigation and crop protection programmes across the farm, working with Production, Agronomy and Compliance teams to optimise crop performance, fruit quality and yield while meeting regulatory and export requirements.

Key responsibilities

• Fertigation and irrigation: plan seasonal fertigation programmes, monitor irrigation scheduling and soil moisture data, maintain records of mixing programmes and dosing schedules, inspect fields regularly and oversee irrigation system maintenance.
• Crop protection: develop chemical and biological control programmes, monitor pests and diseases through scouting and trap monitoring, ensure spray programmes and MRL compliance, manage safe storage and disposal of agrochemicals and keep accurate records.
• Compliance and reporting: support GlobalG.A.P., SIZA and other standards, assist internal and external audits, analyse water use, nutrient applications and pest/disease trends, and prepare regular reports for management.
• Team leadership: lead and train fertigation, irrigation and crop protection teams, promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and precision farming, and support new technologies and continuous improvement.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Agronomy, Soil Science or a related agricultural field (preferred).
• At least 3 years' experience in fertigation, irrigation and/or crop protection in a commercial agricultural setting.
• Knowledge of plant nutrition, fertigation systems, irrigation scheduling, soil-water dynamics, pest and disease identification and IPM.
• Experience with GlobalG.A.P., SIZA or similar compliance standards.
• Strong analytical, reporting and record-keeping skills, computer literacy including Microsoft Office and farm management systems, and comfort working independently and in a multidisciplinary team.