PROIRRI Sustainable Irrigation Development Project
iDE has partnered with KBE, CLUSA, and ADEM to bid for the three year, World Bank funded
PROIRRI Sustainable Irrigation Development Project in Mozambique. The project will contribute to an
increase in the agricultural production of food and high-value crops, as well as to an increase in
the income of smallholder farmers. This project will follow the PROIRRI Irrigation
Site Development Path to enhance horticulture-based small scale irrigation systems in Manica,
Sofala, and Zambezia.
Position: Agronomist - Horticulture Production Specialist
iDE is looking for a senior agricultural specialist to manage project interventions focused on
raising the on-farm productivity of smallholder farmers. Although horticulture production will be
the primary focus of this project, knowledge and experience with both horticulture and staple crops
is desired.
A senior agricultural specialist with a minimum of 10 year‟s relevant experience in small and
medium scale irrigation-based horticulture production, extension systems and marketing of
horticulture products. A university degree in horticultural sciences or agricultural sciences with
demonstrated technical knowledge of horticulture is required.
Overall Responsibilities
• Oversee interventions aimed at improving smallholder farmers agricultural productivity with
both cereal and horticulture crops (although horticulture crops will be the primary focus)
• Support the development of horticulture and irrigation supply chains
• Support small holders, emerging commercial farmers and stake-holders in the development of the
horticulture value chain
• Develop irrigation organizations’ (IOs) procedures for annual irrigation schedules and water
distribution plans
• Design training programs, and supporting materials, to build the capacity of irrigation
organizations, producer associations, and their members in improved agricultural practices.
• Provide training to irrigation organizations, producer associations, and farmers’ groups
• Promote a variety of improved appropriate technologies for horticulture production
• Build the capacity of relevant local government agencies and staff involved in the project.
Support, namely, the improvement of the extension worker skills and the development of the
extension network.
• Support producers in the formulation of small projects to apply for financing through the
Project catalytic fund
• Collaborate with students under internship regime to facilitate practical learning
Qualifications and Requirements
• Demonstrated technical knowledge of horticulture is required
• Previous experience working with smallholder farmers in in sub-Saharan Africa required,
o Experience working in Mozambique (specifically in the central region is preferred
• Full working knowledge of Portuguese and good command of English required
• Minimum of 10 year’s relevant experience with small/medium scale irrigation-based horticulture
production, agricultural extension and marketing of horticulture products
• Experience working through farmer groups and associations required
• A proven record of success implementing development projects in similar circumstances
• Highly skilled in the design and provision of agricultural training programs
• Experience integrating gender and environmental concerns into project activities
• Experience with the World Bank preferred
Educational requirement:
• A university degree in horticultural or agricultural sciences is required.
Candidates should email a cover letter and CV to bmckinlay@ideorg.org and
mmachado@ideorg.org no later than December 2nd, 2012
iDE is an international consortium of non-profit organizations dedicated to creating an enabling environment for poor rural households to participate effectively as micro-entrepreneurs in higher value rural market systems, enabling them to increase their income and begin an upward spiral out of poverty. iDE currently operates country programs in Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Vietnam, Zambia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mozambique, Burkina Faso, Nicaragua and Honduras with an affiliate organization in Myanmar. The organization employs 668 total staff worldwide and had budget of $20 million in 2011. iDE, its affiliates, and country programs are registered as non-profit organizations locally and in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
iDE works to help poor rural farmers increase their agriculture productivity because nearly three-quarters of the people living in extreme poverty earn their living from small farms. To create these income and livelihood opportunities, we focus on innovation, whether it is through products, services, business models or delivery approaches. iDE is a leader in the development of innovative products and services that can be distributed through the marketplace in order to deliver dramatic income and livelihood impacts. We are firm believers in the power of the market and the importance of its integration into development efforts. Due to the market distorting effects of subsidies and give-aways, we require all technologies to be purchased by its smallholder clients. iDE uses grant money to fund research & development for new products and implement rural marketing activities to create demand. Additionally, we provide training to improve horticulture and business practices and establish linkages with high-value markets in rural areas. We often work in close partnership with farmers’ groups, NGOs, government agencies, private sector firms and/or research institutions, as well as through various collaborative public-private partnerships.
With funding from more than 160 donors, including USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, SDC, Dutch MofA, CIDA, DFID, and the World Bank, iDE has implemented more than 250 projects worldwide. The organization measures its success in terms of the average income gain per household (impact), the number of farmers we reach (scale) and the total additional farmer income generated per dollar spent across iDE (cost effectiveness). For every $1 invested in our projects, iDE customers generate on average $10 in additional household income, a cost effectiveness ratio of 10:1.
30 Years Experience in Market-Based Agriculture DevelopmentSince 1982, iDE has taken a leading role in the micro-irrigation revolution to enhance small-scale farmers’ productivity, developing and refining low-cost micro-irrigation technologies (MITs) designed specifically for smallholder farmers. We offer a range of products, most notably the low-cost treadle pump, and also affordable manual hand pumps, drip systems, efficient micro sprinklers and water storage technologies which can be viewed in iDE’s product catalog. We invest in the design and initial promotion of its technologies and, where appropriate, actively engage the private sector to manufacture them and sustain the necessary supply chains.
For more than 19 years iDE has implemented an integrated value-chain development approach to capitalize on market opportunities based on the comparative advantages of small-scale producers. This approach, termed Prosperity Realized through Irrigation and Smallholder Markets (PRISM), focuses on developing profitable service provider enterprises to market and supply appropriate farm inputs, provides embedded technical advice for small producers, and improves smallholder farmers’ market access through commercial channels.
Since 2005, iDE has been implementing the Farm Business Advisor (FBA) model, an innovative micro-franchise approach for delivering high-quality agricultural inputs and technical advice to poor farmers through commission-based sales agents known as Farm Business Advisors. In this model, FBAs analyze individual farm enterprises to identify opportunities, which are then matched with the products and services in their toolkit[1]. FBAs then sell products at a profit, often on credit with payment due at harvest, and provide technical advice as an embedded service during return visits throughout the growing season. In this model, iDE does not pay salaries to FBAs instead providing services such as training, bulk purchasing power, credit access, market information, new product development, and promotion while also ensuring that specific standards for product and service quality are maintained.
Results and AwardsTo date, iDE has impacted more than 20 million people and resulted in the commercial distribution of some 2.5 million micro-irrigation technologies, which on average are producing net additional farmer income of $150 per year. The PRISM integrated value chain model enables poor rural households to increase their net income by an average of $250 a year. Additionally, Farm Business Advisors are earning on average $640 per year, and their rural customers realize on average 30-40% income gains in the first year. The added income generated from all of iDE’s interventions allows these families to invest in nutrition, healthcare, education and additional business activities.
iDE has received a number of awards including the AGFUND International Prize for Pioneering Human Development Projects in 2009 for its PRISM approach. iDE Cambodia was awarded a 2008 Development Marketplace award and was the first recipient of the 2010 Nestle Prize in Creating Shared Value for its Farm Business Advisors project. Additionally, iDE Bangladesh’s country director, Rajiv Pradhan, was selected as the 2010 SEEP Practitioner of the Year for his remarkable leadership and technical contributions in promoting important development initiatives.
[1]The toolkit includes a range of products and advice to farmers on reducing risk, improving productivity, and increasing income with improved seeds, fertilizer, irrigation equipment, pest control, and market information, among others.