Agriculture and Markets Officer

Overview of position

• Our clients Somalia’s Strategic Outcome 3 (SO3) seeks to have national institutions, private sector, smallholder farmers & food insecure & nutritionally vulnerable populations in Somalia benefit from climate smart, productive, resilient, inclusive & nutritious food systems by 2030.
• A key initiative, funded by the World Bank under the Global Agriculture Food Security Program (GAFSP), involves a direct partnership with the Sariiraale farmers’ cooperative society. This innovative approach bypasses traditional Cooperating Partners (CPs) & channels resources directly to the cooperative.
• However, to maximize the project’s impact, the Sariiraale cooperative requires additional expertise. Therefore, an Agronomist will be recruited to play a crucial role. This expert will oversee & implement agricultural activities, providing invaluable knowledge in crop management, soil health & sustainable farming practices. Their support will extend beyond the Sariiraale cooperative, empowering other cooperatives supported by WFP under the food systems program, ultimately scaling up market based agricultural productivity & income enhancement across Hirshabelle.

Role objectives

This primary objective is to empower People’s Organizations (POs) by enhancing their crop production efficiency & productivity, fostering connections across the value chain & promoting sustainable & environmentally responsible practices. Ultimately, the goal is to boost the profitability & success of these organizations through innovative & sustainable agricultural practices that benefit both producers & the environment. Working closely with area offices, local authorities, partners & community stakeholders, the Agronomist will actively contribute to SO3 by:

• Supporting the planning, design & implementation of context specific food systems & resilience projects.
• Identifying & pursuing opportunities for independent & / or joint food systems projects with diverse stakeholders, including government, academia, the private sector, communities, NGOs & others.
• Supporting area offices to engage stakeholders & communicate WFP’s resilience & food systems strategy effectively.
• Positioning WFP as a preferred partner for resilience & food systems initiatives among stakeholders in the field.

Expected output:

• Build the capacity of PO to conduct soil analysis & recommend appropriate soil management practices to Sariiraale farmer’s cooperative society.
• Develop & implement crop management plans, including planting schedules, irrigation & pest control measures.
• Provide guidance on sustainable & climate resilient farming techniques.
• Monitor & evaluate crop performance, identifying areas for improvement.
• Collaborate with local farmers, providing training on best agronomic practices.
• Support the introduction of new crop varieties suitable for local conditions.
• Contribute to the development of agroforestry & conservation practices.
• Train Sariiraale cooperative society farmers on farming as a business through imparting skills on commercial business mindset, record keeping, enterprise budgeting & marketing among other trainings.
• Identify value chain actors (private & public), financial institution.
• Facilitate market linkage between Sariiraale farmer’s cooperative society & markets (input, output & service) locally & regionally.
• Facilitate linkages between Sariiraale farmer’s cooperative society & financial institutions for the smallholder farmers to access loans.
• The Agronomist should aim to optimize the use of resources such as soil, water & fertilizers to enhance crop yields.
• Additionally, the Agronomist should prioritize socially responsible practices, such as evaluating growing methods for their environmental impact.
• Implementing & monitoring the sustainable farming practices.

Project reporting

• Weekly update.
• Monthly report.
• Regular monitoring of activities.
• Biweekly virtual meeting to report on project implementation progress.
• Joint monitoring reports with MoAI / our client.