Husbandry Agency
Husbandry agency (also called protective agency) is the provision of services to the ship, her crew and her owner during a port call — arranging crew changes, medical attention, spares and stores delivery, cash to master, surveys, repairs, and general "welfare of the ship" tasks. It is distinct from cargo agency, which serves the movement of the cargo.
The distinction matters commercially. Under many charters the charterer nominates the cargo agent, so the owner appoints a separate protective (husbandry) agent to look after the owner's own interests at the same port — overseeing the call, verifying the disbursement account, and handling husbandry matters the cargo agent does not. For a ship agency business, husbandry work is a distinct, relationship-driven service line alongside liner and cargo agency.
Husbandry agency is the "care of the ship" side of port work — everything the crew and owner need that isn't about the cargo. When the charterer picks the cargo agent, owners appoint a protective agent to guard their interests and check the DA, making husbandry a distinct agency service line.
What is the difference between husbandry and cargo agency?
Husbandry (protective) agency serves the ship, crew and owner — crew changes, spares, cash to master, repairs; cargo agency serves the movement of the cargo.
Why appoint a protective agent?
When a charterer nominates the cargo agent, the owner appoints a separate protective/husbandry agent to look after the owner's interests and verify the disbursement account.