Website Agriterra
Agriterra
Agriterra is an agri-agency founded and steered by the farmers’ organisations and agricultural cooperatives in the Netherlands. Its mandate is to strengthen producers’ organisations worldwide. Agriterra mainly acts as a facilitating agency and provides advisory and brokering services to farmers’ organisations and farmer-led business initiatives. Limited financial support is available to support beneficiary organisations in conducting SMART-formulated action plans which are clearly linked with the advisory services provided. The main focus is on advisory support. Agriterra does not fund the purchase of premises, machineries or agricultural inputs.
There are three main intervention strategies:
- Support cooperative farmer-led economic development: support in developing sound and bankable business plans for starting-up new agribusiness ventures and/or expanding existing ones;
- Support farmers’ organisations in developing a financially sustainable service provision system aimed at improving commercial farming;
- Support farmers’ organisations in conducting an effective lobby and advocacy system.
For all organisations, being federations or cooperatives, there will be ample focus on working towards improved and sound financial management and governance. The objectives are to support the building of strong farmers’ organisations which are financially sustainable, provide good and affordable services to their members; have a strong membership base, are democratically governed and truly represented by their constituency, the farmers.
In 2018, Agriterra will be hosting a dutch intern who will be placed at two clients in the eastern province of Zambia namely Chadiza District Farmers Association and Mambwe District Women Association.The main focus of the internship will be to develop a market strategy and improve the marketing of sunflower oil and other products produced by the two clients.
Chadiza District Farmers Association
Chadiza District Farmers Association is a member based farmer organization with key objective to providing its members with members services in lobby,advocacy and agribusiness.The association has about 700 members and 33 Information centres.
The association has a board and management in place who manage the affairs of the association.
As part of its sustainability strategy the association developed a concept to start processing sunflower oil. This was funded by the USADF a few years ago and now the association is a processor of sunflower oil and cake as a by-product.The association sells its cooking oil cake to the neighbouring Mozambique.
The association sells the cooking oil within the district to both its members and non members.
Mambwe District Women Association
Mambwe Districts Women Association is a women-based organisation with a key focus on women empowerment through business, lobby and advocacy. The association was formed in 1997 and legally registered in 2006 and currently has a membership of 1,180 individual farmers – of which 1,056 are women and 124 males – organised in 145 groups and 12 Area Women Development Associations. The association members all hail from Mambwe Rural District.The aim of Mambwe DWA is to reduce poverty and vulnerability levels among rural women and youth thereby enhancing the community livelihoods and empowering the women.
As part of its sustainability strategy the association developed a concept to start processing sunflower oil. This was funded by the USADF a few years ago and now the association is a processor of sunflower oil and cake as a by-product.
The association sells the cooking oil within the district through its distributors who are some of its members.
Activities
- Act as a tour guide to the information centres and member areas to be visited by the Dutch Intern
- Play the role of an interpreter from English to the local language during meetings and when required
- Translate the data collection tools to the local language for easy data collection by the Dutch Intern
- Provide cultural orientation to the Dutch Intern
- Advise and train the association members when need arises
- Update the Association membership data
- Provide Agriculture extension to the extension staff
- Working closely with the Dutch intern to analyse data
- Report to the Agriterra Business Advisors responsible for Zambia.
Profile/Qualification requirements
Qualifications and experience
- Minimum of Diploma in Agribusiness, Marketing, Business Administration from Accredited Institution
- Good understanding of the agricultural sector and marketing of farm products in Zambia
- Relevant experience and interest working at or with farmer organizations/cooperatives
- Statistical Knowledge
- Good remunerator (to conduct field interviews)
- Proficient in English
- Resident of Chipata
Skills
- Good presentation and communication skills
- Good reporting skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
- Fluent in English & Nyanja.
The selected candidate will work from the District Farmers Association for a period of 2 – 3 months starting April 2018.
Application
Application letters addressed to the Business Advisor – Eastern Region accompanied by detailed CVs and contact numbers should be sent by email to:
Ms. Brenda Sianangama, Business Advisor ([email protected])
Mr. Chabota Miyoba, Business Advisor ([email protected])
Please ensure that you mention www.gozambiajobs.com as the source of this job advertisement.
Closing date: 12th April 2018.
For inquiries: [email protected]