Consultant - Assistant Agronomist

I.                 Background

The International Potato Center (CIP) has developed a novel approach that integrates research and development activities aimed at commercializing the Root and Tuber Crops (RTC) subsector (with focus on potato, sweetpotato and cassava). The goal is to increase the subsector’s contribution to food and nutrition security, incomes, job creation and economic growth in Malawi. 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 main objectives: (i) To develop and promote improved RTC varieties, technologies and knowledge to support commercial production, value addition and linkages to domestic and international markets; (ii) To enhance availability and access to quality RTC seed and other inputs; (iii) To increase production of quality RTCs for domestic and export markets and food and nutrition security; and (iv) To increase private sector investment and capacity in commercial processing and marketing of quality RTC value added products for domestic and export markets.

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

II.               Objective

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

·        Distribution of clean planting materials and mounting of demo plots and experiments  

·        Conduct field days in successful demo plots in conjunction with DAES

·        Conduct progress review meetings with district partners

·        Represent CIP in DAECC and DNCC at respective districts

·        Conduct training of trainers and farmers on seed multiplication, production, harvesting, and marketing of sweetpotato

·        Facilitate formation and build capacity of cooperatives and Farmer groups

·        Compilation of activity and annual report

·        Data collection from screen houses and tissue culture lab on production of early generation potato and sweetpotato seed

·        Co-manage screen houses with DARS

·        Promotion of sweetpotato as a commercial crop

·        Implement and translate research protocols into fields experimental design and layout

·        Support scientists to establish on-station experiments to evaluate, validate and demonstrate various technologies

·        Organize technology field days and field evaluation sessions.

·        Coordinate with RTC DARS scientists in carrying out research activities.

·        Develop action plans to facilitate implementation of experimental activities

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

·        Support data entry.

·        Produce monthly reports on the progress of research activities

III.              Deliverables

·        Site identification, soil sampling

·        Training of seed multipliers and facilitation of seed inspection

·        Training of trainers on seed and root production

·        Implementation of on-farm trials and demos

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

·        Monitoring of intervention sites and report writing

Requirements

• BSc degree in agriculture.
  
• Experience in training of trainers and farmers on seed multiplication, root production, harvesting and storage.
  
• Facilitate Registration and monitoring of Decentralized Vine Multipliers by Seed Service Unit (SSU).
  
• Lay out of on-station and on-farm field experiments.
  
• Data collection from experiments, entry and analysis.
  
• Report writing.
  
• Expert in planning and distributing sweetpotato planting materials in the RTC implementing districts.
  
• Minimum of 6 years of experience working for donor-funded agricultural development projects.