Role: Agribusiness and Value Chain Expert (Consultant)

Project Summary:

CABI Regional Bioscience Centre (RBC) Pakistan is currently developing a proposal for a anticipating project “Implementation of climate technology demonstrations” for horticulture and livestock sector. CABI will install and demonstrate the identified technologies around horticulture (mango, banana, onion, tomato, dates, grapes and olive) and livestock (cattle, goat, sheep, poultry and dairy) commodities, this includes installation and demonstrations of technologies through capacity building of Farmers Marketing Collectives (FMCs) and Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) members and Training of Trainers (ToT) of Agribusiness Service Providers (ABSPs) for selected technologies with following objectives.

1. Installation and provision of climate smart technologies to the project beneficiaries

2. Increase awareness and access to climate-smart technologies amongst primary producers/processors, SMEs and ABSPs.

3. Support technology providers (lead firms/ABSPs) in accessing SMEs in rural markets.

4. Build capacity of FMCs and ABSPs to provide services around climate-related technologies in the project areas. 

Job Brief:

The Agribusiness and Value Chain Expert will play a key role in supporting the development and implementation of project aimed at improving agribusiness and value chain efficiency of climate smart agriculture technologies. He will leverage his expertise to analyze value chains of value-added products (e.g dehydrated fruit and vegetables, silage, dairy, packaging, poultry etc.) identify constraints and opportunities, and design and implement interventions that promote sustainable growth and profitability for all stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:

• Value Chain Analysis:

• Conduct comprehensive value chain analyses for targeted agricultural commodities ((e.g dehydrated fruit and vegetables, silage, dairy, packaging, poultry, ration for goat etc.) Identify key stakeholders, assess their roles, and analyze their interactions within the value chain.

• Diagnose constraints and bottlenecks that hinder value chain efficiency and profitability.

• Identify potential opportunities for value chain improvement and market access.

• Produce business case studies of above-mentioned agriculture commodities

• Project Development and Implementation:

• Prepare questionnaire and collect the data from different stakeholders, analyse the data and produce business case studies for target commodities.

• Work collaboratively with project partners, including farmers, farmer organizations, private sector actors, and government agencies.

• Capacity Building:

• Conduct Training of trainers (ToT) on existing SPS modules for identified participants. 

• Conduct a need assessment to prioritize future capacity building subtopics related to SPS compliance.

• Produce report of training recommendations to harmonize the SPS regulatory system in Pakistan and to plan the future training sessions.

• Organize Workshops/Seminars with relevant stakeholders on SPS and to raise awareness on SPS standards prevailing across the globe

• Market Analysis and Linkages:

• Conduct market research (national and international markets) and analysis to identify potential markets for horticulture and livestock commodities.

• Facilitate linkages between producers and market actors, including processors, traders, and retailers.

• Support the development of producers FMC, SMEs, ABSPs to improve their bargaining power and market access.

•  Create awareness on amarket-led approach through performing walk the chain activity for horticulture project beneficiaries.

• Arrange exposure visits for livestock FMCs/ABSPs for silage business facility at Punjab to understand business dynamics, challenges and opportunities in silage making business.

• Reporting and Documentation:

• Prepare clear and concise reports on project activities, findings, and recommendations.

• Produce business case studies of target commodities.

• Document lessons learned and best practices for future project development.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in agriculture, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, or a closely related field.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience working in agribusiness development, value chain analysis, or a related field.

• Strong understanding of agricultural production systems, processing, and marketing practices of value added products.

• Proven experience in conducting value chain analyses and identifying market opportunities.

• Experience in designing and implementing agribusiness development projects.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Fluency in the local language.

• Experience using relevant data analysis tools (e.g., MS Excel) and project management software.

Working Conditions:

• The position may involve travel to project sites in rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan.

• Occasional overtime work may be required to meet project deadlines.