Consultant - BASICS-II Marketing Agent for Seed Entrepreneur Networks at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Job Overview

• CRS is implementing the Development of Cassava Seed Entrepreneur (DCSE) component of Building Economically Sustainable Cassava Seed System (BASICS-II) in Benue and Kogi State. BASICS-II is being implemented by a consortium of organisations led by IITA and covers the entire cassava seed value chain, ranging from breeder to farmer seed.
• The project's vision is to provide farmers with access to affordable, quality-assured seeds of the cassava varieties in demand by local food and processor markets through the establishment of a commercially viable seed value chain operating across breeder, foundation, and commercial seed levels. This value chain will enable more efficient dissemination and adoption of new varieties to improve productivity, raise incomes of cassava growers and seed entrepreneurs, enhance gender equity, and contribute to inclusive agricultural transformation in Nigeria and Tanzania.
• The DCSE component of the BASICS-II project which is being implemented by CRS will include the aggregation of CSEs and cover production and marketing of certified planting materials of improved cassava varieties to farmers within and outside of Kogi and Benue states. In implementing the componet, CRS will identify, train and work with the Cassava Seed Entreprenures (CSEs) to plan and organize their seed production and marketing activities.
• They will be supported to be organsied as formidable Seed Entrepnuers Networks (SENs) operational in the implememntation states. The strategic objective of the DCSE component for Nigeria is to more than double the number of decentralized, commercially viable seed enterprises in Nigeria, while they increase in average size and aggregate into associations to facilitate marketing, quality control, and other services.

The project seeks to engage the services of Marketing Agents for Seed Entrepreneur Networks in Benue and Kogi States. The Marketing Agent will:

• Assist CSEs in connecting with quality input suppliers,
• Assist CSEs in identifying profitable output markets for certified stems,
• Undertake demand mapping and marketing activities to create additional demand for certified cassava stems utilizing SeedTracker and similar tools,
• Assist in the aggregation of CSEs production to fill orders from clients,
• Coordinate with actors (including IITA GoSeed, Umudike Seeds, Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, National Agricultural Seeds Council) to ensure the delivery of timely inputs and services for the CSEs and SENs.