Title of the position: Dates Palm Specialist

Duration of the contract: 8 months (renewable)

Expected Starting Date: 1^st of May 2020

Place of deployment: 60% Bosaso, 40% Garowe with frequent field trips

Name of the Project: Food Security and Sustainability in Fragile Situations – FSSFS

CEFA – European Committee for Training and Agriculture (Comitato Europeo per la Formazione e l’Agricoltura) is an Italian NGO that has worked in Somalia since 1993 transiting through, Humanitarian response interventions, livelihood support, Food Security, Infrastructure Development, Agriculture and Rural Development, during the last 30 years. In Somalia, CEFA has mainly worked in Puntland and in Middle & Lower Shabelle.

Brief about the project:

This project will contribute towards sustainably improve food security, nutrition, and livelihoods and to build resilience among vulnerable households and their communities in Puntland. This goal will be achieved by increasing targeted households’ incomes through improved agricultural production and livestock productivity.

The project is divided in three main components:

1. Water component, which foresees the construction and the rehabilitation of water infrastructures and the adoption of climate-smart technologies;
2. Agriculture and livestock component, which foresees the improvement of the date palm value chain and the increase of range and small ruminant productivity;
3. Knowledge management component, which foresees pilot studies, researches, and technical training.

Objectives and general characteristics of the position:

(S)he is responsible for the technical supervision of all the dates palm value chain related activities under the *“Food Security and Sustainability in Fragile Situations (FSSFS) in Puntland”* project. The date palms Specialist is responsible for the development and support of the date palms value chain. The date palms Specialist will be responsible for providing technical back up and assistance to the implementing team in Bari and Nugal region in relation to the development of the dates palm value chain, from cultivation to marketing and post-harvest processing.

Responsibilities and duties:

· Support the Area Manager, the Field Coordinator and the Agricultural Team Leader in planning and scheduling all the activities related to the date palms value chain;

· Support planning and scheduling of training delivery;

· Support development and update of training and learning materials;

· Facilitate and supervise training delivery on the dates palm value chain, including the following topics: multiplication of dates palms starting from an off-shut, fertilization of female date palms manually using male inflorescences, cultivation and production requirements, palm grove management (pruning, harvesting, post-harvest, pest and weed control);

· Provide ToT to project field staff related to the above-mentioned topics;

· Provide technical insights to the project team on the development of the dates palm value chain;

· Follow up with the project beneficiaries on the different stages of dates production and marketing, from growing to the post-harvest;

· Identify the most suitable varieties of dates, based on the findings collected by the studies carried out during the project inception phase;

· Support the Agricultural Expert and the Field Agronomist in developing strategies to improve the post-harvest processing of the dates;

· Facilitate access to the local/national market by linking the beneficiaries with traders and buyers;

· Continuous follow-up with Field officers on date palms activities and monitoring;

· Conduct field visits to monitor the date palms value production by the project beneficiaries;

· Provide technical assistance to project beneficiaries in dates palm production, processing, and marketing.

· Provide continuous coordination with CEFA Area Manager, Field Coordinator, Agricultural Team Leader, and Agricultural Expert for updates on the implementation of the dates palm related activities;

· Any other activities that might be required.

Required experience:

· Diploma in Agriculture or related fields;

· Strong past working experience (at least 7 years) in agricultural programs with a specific focus on the dates palm value chain;

• Previous experience working in Puntland State of Somalia;

· Knowledge of English and Somali;

· Knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Desired skills and experiences:

• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture in a relevant field;
• Knowledge of Italian and Somali languages is an asset;
• Previous working experience with CEFA is an asset.

Responsible to: CEFA Area Manager and CEFA Team Leader in Puntland