Consultant - Assistant Agronomist

CGIAR System Organization; Montpellier; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The CGIAR System Organization seeks an experienced Agronomist consultant to support the commercialization of root and tuber crops in Malawi. This role entails conducting training, facilitating cooperatives, and overseeing field experiments, with a goal of enhancing agricultural productivity and market access.

Qualifications

• Experience in training farmers on seed multiplication and harvesting.
• Minimum of 6 years in donor-funded agricultural development projects.
• Expertise in sweetpotato materials distribution.

Responsabilités

• Conduct field days and training sessions for farmers.
• Facilitate formation and capacity building of cooperatives.
• Compile activity and annual reports.

Connaissances

Training of trainers

Seed multiplication

Root production

Data collection and analysis

Field experiment planning

Description du poste

The International Potato Center (CIP) has developed a novelapproach that integrates research and development activities aimed atcommercializing the Root and Tuber Crops (RTC) subsector (with focus on potato,sweetpotato and cassava). The goal is to increase the subsector’s contributionto food and nutrition security, incomes, job creation and economic growth inMalawi. Funded by the Embassy of Ireland to Malawi, the 4-year project namely‘Market-led Transformation of the Root and Tuber Crops Subsector (RTC-MARKET)’started on 1st May 2023 and planned to achieve this through four mainobjectives: (i) To develop and promote improved RTC varieties, technologies andknowledge to support commercial production, value addition and linkages todomestic and international markets; (ii) To enhance availability and access toquality RTC seed and other inputs; (iii) To increase production of quality RTCsfor domestic and export markets and food and nutrition security; and (iv) Toincrease private sector investment and capacity in commercial processing andmarketing of quality RTC value added products for domestic and export markets.

To accomplish its deliverables, CIP seeks to engage the servicesof an experienced Agronomist consultant who has an experience inmarket/business development model to review and fine-tune the model for drivingRTC commercialisation as per project focus and, accordingly, assist in developinga comprehensive framework for monitoring and evaluation of transformation andcommercialisation of the RTC-subsector

II. Objective

In executing this assignment, the consultant will undertake thefollowing specific tasks:

· Conduct field days insuccessful demo plots in conjunction with DAES

· Conduct progress reviewmeetings with district partners

· Represent CIP in DAECCand DNCC at respective districts

· Conduct training oftrainers and farmers on seed multiplication, production, harvesting, andmarketing of sweetpotato

· Facilitate formation andbuild capacity of cooperatives and Farmer groups

· Compilation of activityand annual report

· Data collection fromscreen houses and tissue culture lab on production of early generation potatoand sweetpotato seed

· Co-manage screen houseswith DARS

· Promotion of sweetpotatoas a commercial crop

· Implement and translateresearch protocols into fields experimental design and layout

· Support scientists toestablish on-station experiments to evaluate, validate and demonstrate varioustechnologies

· Organize technologyfield days and field evaluation sessions.

· Coordinate with RTC DARSscientists in carrying out research activities.

· Develop action plans tofacilitate implementation of experimental activities

· Contribute to thedevelopment of annual work plan, technical reports, project success stories.

· Produce monthly reportson the progress of research activities

· Training of seedmultipliers and facilitation of seed inspection

· Training of trainers onseed and root production

· Implementation ofon-farm trials and demos

· Contribute to thedevelopment of annual work plan, technical reports, project success stories

· Monitoring ofintervention sites and report writing

Requirements

• Experience in trainingof trainers and farmers on seed multiplication, root production, harvesting andstorage.
  
• Facilitate Registrationand monitoring of Decentralized Vine Multipliers by Seed Service Unit (SSU).
  
• Lay out of on-stationand on-farm field experiments.
  
• Data collection fromexperiments, entry and analysis.
  
• Expert in planning and distributingsweetpotato planting materials in the RTC implementing districts.
  
• Minimum of 6 years of experience workingfor donor-funded agricultural development projects.