Job Responsibilities

• Identify potential products of all identified VCs.
• Provide information about the potential of processing or any value addition (recipes, examples etc).
• Map out the local, regional and cross boarder markets for all products of the VCs
• Highlight the local market structure and enabling environment (e.g. security issues or policies affecting market access)
• summarize the market actors (producer, trader, processor, middleman, consumer) and include their product behaviour
procurement mechanisms, market requirements (standards, conditions for delivery) and prices, wage rates and employment conditions
• Identify preferred products (raw or processed) of target groups and reasons for this
• collect all relevant information about the status of the target groups, their operational set up, their previous training engagements, their status and assets, their business ideas/plans
• Review the Value Chain Needs Assessment report, including the practical recommendations to allow the project to adjust to the needs of the groups
• Assist the colleagues with the FAO Gender and M&E activities where required.
• Build a network of potential off takers and traders
• Facilitate the process of the of market and micro-finance linkages for farmer groups under Women and Youth Project, in collaboration with various stakeholders, including Government and private sector.
• Build capacity of frontline staff and communities in the project sites, including those from private sector and civil society on agribusiness development along the whole VCs.
• Advocate circular economy and business
• Apply participatory training methodologies in any relevant training needed.
• Support the farmer groups enterprise development and market readiness, including in branding, packaging and market segmentation.
• Support the engagement of and with the Malawi Bureau of Standards and the SME/Cooperative registration office
• Organize open days and facilitate the participation at market fairs to advertise agricultural produce, VC actors and to establish relations with finance institutions and potential market relations.