Agribusiness Support Specialist

Minimum Requirements

• Advanced university degree in Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, or a related field.
  
• At least 7 years of relevant experience related to both entrepreneurial development, small-scale enterprises development and agricultural commodities marketing with emphasis on rural development within smallholder production and marketing schemes.
  
• Working knowledge of English and Kiswahili
  
• National of Kenya
  

• Assist in field coordination and collaborate with the crop production component to develop a production plan and establish an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Farmer Field School programme especially in Horti farms and open fields.
  
• Assist in field coordination and collaborate with the crop production components to enable development of costs of production analyses for farmers, and business investment profiles for lenders and investors.
  
• Facilitate connections between farmers' groups and agricultural service providers, ensuring equitable access to inputs, technologies, and support services that enhance productivity and resilience.
  
• Provide technical support and guidance on effective business management practices to the existing and emerging food processing business beneficiaries in the targeted area.
  
• Support development of inclusive rural business models to enable accelerated access to quality inputs and market access through collective marketing for the smallholder farmers.
  
• Facilitate training and capacity building to farmers and other value chain actors to enhance their understanding of agribusiness concepts and practices and to effectively support beneficiaries especially women and youth to engage in agri-business and marketing.
  
• Support training of agricultural extension service providers to provide record keeping, conducting financial analyses, including cost-benefit analyses, profitability assessment, and risk management, to determine the financial feasibility and sustainability of various project agribusiness activities.
  
• Facilitate effective partnerships between farmers, agro-pastoralists, and/or farmer groups, and small enterprises that undertake Agri-hire mechanization service provision, input suppliers (agro-dealers), aggregators, and financial services providers.
  
• Facilitate linkages and access to finance, credit, and insurance services for progressive farmers to support their investment and expansion and transition them into rural micro enterprises.
  
• Support farm management and water user committees and partners on technical issues related to the management, maintenance and sustainability of the water infrastructure and farms.
  
• Support food hub entrepreneurs in business skills and entrepreneurship training.
  
• Support monitoring and evaluation of outputs, indicators, and results of the project against the agreed work plan, subsequent regular report writing, and identify constraints and issues that require timely resolution and corrective actions.
  
• Support project lead in coordinating and supervising LOA activities in Turkana West.
  
• Monitor trends in agribusiness markets and trade, and agro-processing technologies.
  
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the FAO representative or their duly appointed representative