Forage Agronomy Specialist - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Nourishing Prosperity Alliance (NPA)

Venture37 project support to

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Nourishing prosperity Alliance (100%)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Background:

Land O'Lakes Venture37: is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to helping communities around the world build economies by strengthening local agriculture, helping agribusinesses create jobs and linking farmers to markets. Since 1981, it has implemented over 315 integrated dairy, livestock and crops development programs in nearly 80 countries — creating lasting impact by linking farmers, businesses, and the public and private sector in local and global contexts. Land O’Lakes Venture37’s long-standing affiliation with Land O’Lakes, Inc. sets it apart. Land O’Lakes, Inc. is one of America’s largest farmer-owned cooperatives. It supports Land O’Lakes Venture37 project implementation with nearly 100 years of expertise in dairy, animal nutrition, crop inputs and agricultural insights and technologies. This gives Land O’Lakes Venture37 development projects a unique global view of agriculture, food, and the power of well-functioning market systems. Land O’Lakes, Inc. supports these efforts as part of its enterprise purpose of Feeding Human Progress at home and around the world.

Project Summary:

Land O’Lakes Venture37 is the lead project implementer for the Nourishing Prosperity Alliance (NPA) project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The purpose of the NPA project is to establish commercially viable and sustainable forage markets that equitably strengthen the regional competitiveness of the dairy industries in Kenya and Ethiopia. Forage markets will be developed through the implementation of integrated activities that drive demand for and use of optimized forage varieties among small-scale dairy producers, as well as improve the supply of climate-smart forage rations that are marketed to small-scale producers. Activities also aim to strengthen the enabling environment for forage market development over the life of the project, from July 2023 to June 2028.

Position Summary:

The forage agronomy specialist is responsible for ensuring implementation of the different activities in forage component including in the production practices, field evaluation, and market development component planned in the NPA project across the different project target region in Ethiopia. The project will be implemented in Oromia, Amhara and SNNP regions in 30 high dairy potential woredas suitable for long-term dairy production.

The forage agronomy specialist will take care of the forage agronomy from establishment, husbandry, harvesting and processing by dairy producers in the different agro-ecologies and production systems. It also address the capacity development of farmers, through training, field days, and digital service in forage management and production either for their own use or to supply to the market. The forage agronomist also ensures extension workers and dairy producers are trained to perform this improved forage production and conservation. It also works with the different partners nationally to establish or maintain positive working relationships with partner organizations in-country, engaged farmer organizations, women’s groups and cooperatives, government bodies, and other development projects in the livestock sector.

Primary Responsibilities

• Design and implement demand building activities for nutrient-dense cultivated forage by addressing the primary barriers to adoption, and on how to increase producer income from dairy by utilizing improved forage varieties.
• Increased small scale dairy producers’ knowledge of climate-smart forages production through training in-person advice, field days, and digital trainings.
• Provide agronomic training to extension service providers and forage producers on timing of harvest, effective use of storage and conservation tools.
• Ensure increase knowledge and equitable, accelerated adoption of improved climate-smart forage production and storage practices and technologies among dairy producers, forage producers and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises).
• Conduct adaptive research sites that establish a variety of nutrient-dense forage cultivars suited to the changing climatic conditions in collaboration with universities and research institutes.
• Conduct soil and forage testing to enable data-driven decision-making in forage management and support the development of differentiated pricing models.
• Work in close collaboration with NPA partners from the private and public sector, who will participate in the different activities to take ownership of the various technical training components by the end of the investment period
• disseminate information on the benefits of forage production, emphasizing the advantages of establishing climate-smart varieties to enhance resiliency, along with key insights from the data on soil health, forage quality and costing analyses collected at NPA research and demonstration sites.
• Support producers in the business skills that are needed to enter forage market and development and implementation of business models that enable differentiated pricing based on quality.
• Support in improving equitable access for dairy and forage producers to products and services needed for forage production and sale.
• Improve ability and agency of women producers and MSMEs to compete equitably in the forage market.
• Map the enabling environment for forage in the country to identify in greater detail the key policy gaps and opportunities for forage market development.
• Support in ensuring improved regulations and implementation by regional and federal governments conducive to a thriving climate-smart forage market system.
• Identify relevant key areas for leveraging datasets on various points along the forage supply chain, including agronomic data, business intelligence, and early warning system information.
• forage services development manager for the achievement of project objectives.

Reporting & Supervision:

• The forage agronomy specialist reports to Forage Services Development Manager, NPA, Ethiopia

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• A bachelors degree in agronomy, crop production, animal production, agricultural extension, or other relevant fields with 5 plus years of relevant experience in the sector.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge and practical experience in forage crops production practice including, knowledge of agronomic Practice from establishment to harvesting and conservation, of the major forage crops suitable for crop-livestock mixed production system in the different agro-ecologies.
• Experience in on-farm demonstration of forage crops, working with smallholder livestock producers, in the different agro-ecologies and high potential dairy producing areas.
• Experience in training extension agents, farmers, organizing and facilitating skills of trainings and field days
• Experience in working different partners and farmers and people management skills.
• Ability to collect and analyze data and information, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Private sector experience preferred.
• Good verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel.