Poultry Promotion Officer at Venture37 | May 2024

Project Description

The Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AIDI) is a CGIAR initiative consisting of a series of rapid impact interventions aiming to ensure that smallholder farmers in key food production areas of sub-Saharan Africa have the information and innovation they need to offset the increase of food, fuel and fertilizer prices brought on by the war in Ukraine. The initiative aims to support resource-poor smallholder farmers to increase crop production and productivity through access to know-how, fertilizers, improved seeds, and financing mechanisms. 

Land O’Lakes Venture37 has a sub-agreement with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to implement a rapid impact intervention focusing on the commercial and indigenous poultry value chains in Tanzania. The Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative-Livestock (AIDI-L) is a 24-month project whose overall aim is to contribute to improved food and nutrition security and rural incomes in Tanzania. Specifically, the project’s purpose is to improve productivity and availability of poultry meat and eggs at household and local market levels through widespread adoption of sustainable livestock innovations.  AIDI-L aims to reach 17,000 smallholder households in Tanzania though private sector-led, women- and youth- focused innovations in poultry, and 400,000 through poultry vaccination and media campaigns.

AIDI-L objectives:

Improve access to and scale-up of improved dual-purpose chickens, agricultural inputs and agricultural information, through private sector agribusinesses providing bundled advisory services and inputs in areas where added advantages for these breeds are identified.
Support cost-share of start-ups and scale-ups of small-scale poultry enterprises in production, and marketing of locally produced chicken meat and eggs.
Provide advisory services through mass media and extension services to raise awareness of key poultry diseases, preventive health practices, and business skills, supporting and facilitation of private sector engagement.

Position Summary: 

The Poultry Promotion Officer implements AIDI-L field activities as per project work plans in a defined geographical area. The Poultry Promotion Officer will engage poultry producers and support in scaling up Poultry Producer Groups (PDGs), including delivering producer and training of trainers (TOT) trainings, trial innovative poultry production systems, and support access to and scale up of improved dual purpose backyard village chickens and commercial poultry from hatcheries and brooders. The Poultry Promotion Officer will work closely with other team members and stakeholders to support investments in poultry, development of Village Savings and Loan schemes, organize Learning Exchanges, and strengthen delivery of media advisory campaigns on vaccines, health, hygiene, and production.  

This posts is based in Dodoma.

Primary Responsibilities:

Ensure in the mobilization and engagement of poultry producers to build capacity of Poultry Development Groups (PDGs) in area of operations to strengthen ability to access services and inputs.
Work with stakeholders to support in the development and the establishment of poultry incubation clusters which encompass hatcheries, brooders, and producers.
Provide training to producers on poultry production, husbandry, health, and climate smart approaches which increase production and productivity.
Identify lead farmers, facilitate training on use of mobile corrals and CSA approaches, trial mobile corral systems, and use model farms and training-of-trainers to enable peer-to-peer learning to increase adoption and scale-up of improved production practices.
Link with hatcheries and brooders through the incubation clusters to facilitate producer access and scale-up of improved breeds of dual-purpose backyard village chickens; as well as commercial enterprises access to broilers and layers.
Provide on-going extension support to poultry producers and TOTs to ensure improved poultry production, productivity, and reduced mortality.
Support in facilitating learning exchange visits to lead farmers.
Link producers and PDGs to Village Saving and Loan Schemes, access to cost-share finance, vaccine campaigns and other relevant poultry initiatives.
Work with stakeholders to amplify media advisory campaigns on vaccines, health, hygiene, and production.
Collate all data generated into IMPACTS and submit reports, work plans, identified best practices, and all required information in a timely manner.

Reporting & Supervision:

This position reports to the Poultry Business Services Specialist

Required Skills and Qualifications:

Bachelor of Science degrees (BSc) in Animal/Poultry Science/Production, Veterinary science Agribusiness, Agricultural, Rural Development, or other relevant fields.
A minimum of two (2) years of demonstrated relevant field experience in implementation of livestock development projects with an emphasis on poultry.
Demonstrated experience training and providing extension services to small-scale subsistence and commercial farmers with an emphasis on poultry production. 
Ability to communicate effectively. 
Able to work with limited supervision and deliver on time.
Team player with excellent interpersonal and written and oral presentation skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Fluency in oral and written English.
Ability to ride a motorcycle over challenging terrain and can obtain a motorcycle license within 4 weeks of engagement.

Preferred Skills and Qualifications:

Possess a motorcycle license.
A Higher National Diploma Animal/Poultry Science/Production, Veterinary science Agribusiness, Agricultural, Rural Development
Experience working with indigenous/dual purpose poultry with small scale subsistence farmer in Tanzania.
Experience providing training on small-scale poultry production.