Agric Value Chain Consultant at Farm Innovation Nigeria Limited

Background and Context
Farm Innovation recognizes that there is need for smallholder farmers to access information on locally-adapted best management approaches, as well as the need to promote an appropriate enabling environment (e.g. policies/incentives, financial services, human/social capital). Through its approach to agricultural innovation – research and technology, Farm Innovation is already making significant contributions towards making its vision a reality.

A major concern for stakeholders within the agricultural social structure over the years have been to reduce to the barest minimum the problems associated with agricultural loss, wastages and output under utilization by ensuring an efficient optimization of all the linkages between the producer and final consumer through the value chain concept.

The goal of value chain and market development is to “make markets work for the poor”. Thus we leverage market systems development to offer pro poor opportunities for growth by promoting the flow of knowledge and resources along value chains to small enterprises and poor producers and farmers.

Job Description

• We are in need of an Agric Value Chain Consultant that will support our ongoing project that is leveraging technology to provide extension services for farmers in Adamawa and Gombe states in Nigeria
• The value chain consultant should have specialization in at least one of the target value chains for this project - groundnut, sorghum, rice, tomatoes and livestock.

Objectives of the Assignment
The main objective of this assignment is to provide sufficient understanding on the current status and future potential of different agricultural commodities in the project area; identifying specific bottlenecks and opportunities in their respective value chains that can be addressed and leveraged through the project intervention thereby increasing production, income and employment for the rural poor.

Scope of Work
The consultant is expected to undertake the following:

• Within the project area, identify growth potential, market trends and competitiveness of selected value chains
• Value chain mapping that depicts the chain actors and their functions and inter-relationships
• Identify and examine constraints and opportunities within the selected value chains
• Identify the underlying policy, institutional, and infrastructural issues that affect the competitiveness and exclusion of the selected value chains
• Identify institutions and organizations working for selected value chains from national to local levels that can contribute to pro poor value chain development.
• Support with GAP curriculum and radio program design.
• Provide support in training of our field agronomists.

Deliverables
The following are the expected outputs from the consultant:

• Detailed analysis of selected value chains with quantitative and qualitative description of needs
• Value chain mapping of actors
• Economic analysis, production and market costs and revenues, value additions and profit margin along the chain including income and employment
• List of potential agribusiness interested to collaborate with the project through contractual arrangements
• List of stakeholders consulted.

Required Profile

• An Advanced University Degree in Agricultural Development, Agricultural Economics or other related subject areas
• Good understanding of agricultural and rural development from both a development cooperation and private sector perspective
• Excellent understanding of the international development and its implementation and funding mechanisms (public and private)
• Good understanding of agribusinesses and agricultural value chain trends and direction, including major areas of interest and intervention, as well as interactions with the private sector
• At least 5 years relevant experience working in the area of agribusiness and agricultural value chain development
• Fluency in English, with excellent written and oral communication skills
• Fluency in Hausa or Kanuri is highly required.