Agronomist Job in Machakos, Kenya

Duma Works is recruiting an Agronomist for one of our clients. 

The Agronomist will work in a 15 – acre transitional horticultural farm located in Machakos. 

The company grows horticultural products for the export market and are currently growing french beans and baby corn to meet high levels of demand for vegetables in the export market. 

They may increase the product offering to Asian fruits and vegetables.

Job Purpose

 

The specific tasks for this position include:

• Implementation of good crop husbandry – Oversee the process from ploughing, planting, crop management  to harvesting in according to International Food Quality and Safety Standards


• Development of a production plan – planting , harvesting dates


• Developing a spraying programme based on KEPHIS approved list


• Oversee Quality Assurance of Farm products – Development of Job aids for Farm use workers


• Lead and oversee all the required certification processes for the company’s food products including GLOBAL GAP Certification, Organic Certification, Fairtrade and Nurture.


• Training of staff and out growers- orient  farm workers and out growers to ensure staff wok in compliance with good Agricultural Practices  and contribute to meeting the companies production targets


• Work with the Farm manager to develop daily, weekly and monthly work plans that support the company’s annual plans and strategic objectives

Key Responsibilities

• Hands on – Good at Managing people – Responsible for the output of this role


• Crop rotation planning and hybrid/variety selection recommendations


• Regular field checks & detailed computerized field reports & permanent record keeping


• Insect, weed & disease monitoring / diagnostics and chemical, fertilizer & seed recommendations


• GAP Certification


• Soil & Water Sampling –  Soil moisture status monitoring


• Crop budgeting & planning


• Manure and Pesticides Schedule


• Irrigation scheduling


• Harvest Schedule


• Training Schedule


• Oversee Auditing by the relevant authorities KEPHIS & HCD compliance

Skills

• Good diagnostic and decision making skill


• Proven ability to effectively communicate – verbal & written skills Knowledge of English and Swahili


• Demonstrate skills in sales (our agronomists do not sell products – only quality service to farmers)


• Ability to work independently and proceed with objectives without close supervision


• Desire to serve farmers and others involved in the agriculture industry


• Desire to remain updated with new agricultural trends and technology self-motivation, willingness to learn and good work ethic


• Ability to work outside during heat of day & ability to walk several miles per day

Educational Level: Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture with emphasis on agronomy, crop, soil, weed management, agri business, or other agri science course work

Preferences

• Valid Driver’s License


• The company is looking for someone who is passionate about agriculture, has respect for all regardless of educational background, religion, sex, age, and tribe.

How to Apply

Deadline for applications is 20th November 2015

If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please send your CV to apply@dumaworks.com. 

As the subject line of your email, write “1949” and please make sure to include your Name and Phone number in the message body. 

If you don’t follow these instructions, your application will not go through.

* When applying to any job through Duma Works, you can expect that after you apply, you will receive a confirmation email, and then an SMS alert asking you to take a basic screening test over SMS. The SMS with the test may not arrive immediately. Please be patient. The SMS test will typically be 5-8 questions to help us understand your background. Regular SMS rates apply to the test, and if you ever have any issues with the process, please reach out to 0702093793.