Agribusiness and Market Linkage Officer job at ForAfrika

Description

ForAfrika is hiring an Agribusiness and Market Linkage Officer responsible for facilitating market linkages, supporting agribusiness initiatives, and creating employment opportunities for youth and women in both refugee and host communities. The role will involve the development of partnerships, strengthen market systems, and ensure the active participation of smallholder farmers (SHFs) in demand-driven markets. The officer will play a critical role in reducing risks for market entrants, enhancing income opportunities, and building resilient agri-food systems.

Project Overview:

The Agriculture Market Support (AMS) Programme, funded by the UN World Food Program and implemented by ForAfrika, is designed to strengthen food systems, promote agricultural value chains, and enhance sustainable youth employment for refugees and host communities in Uganda. The program aims to benefit 17,195 smallholder farmers, with a focus on women and youth, by creating 11,545 jobs by 2026.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Market Linkage Facilitation:

• Facilitate access to markets by establishing strong relationships between youth, women, smallholder farmers, and institutional buyers (e.g., WFP, PMO).
• Enhance digital trade platforms and market information systems to promote wider market access for SHFs, including digital solutions for record-keeping and financial transactions.
• Develop models for village aggregation centres (VACs) with storage and warehousing facilities to facilitate group marketing and bulk selling.

Capacity Building and Youth Empowerment:

• Provide capacity-building support to SHF, youth and women in commercial production sectors, financial linkages, Bulking and Collective marketing, financial planning and records.
• Strengthen capacity of village savings and loan associations to operate efficiently and effectively.
• Facilitate skill development and short-term training sessions for youth to improve marketable skills and link them with decent work opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness.
• Strengthen financial inclusion by linking youth to financial service providers for access to working capital and entrepreneurial support.

Market System Strengthening:

• Foster partnerships with financial institutions, buyers, and cooperatives to enhance youth and women’s engagement in competitive agricultural markets.
• Strengthen the capacity of farmer groups (FGs) and farmer organizations (FOs) to promote collective marketing strategies and improve their negotiation power for better pricing.
• Facilitate the award and implementation of subsidy projects for youth groups to ease the movement of produce to markets.

Monitoring and Technical Support:

• Provide continuous technical support to youth and farmer groups in business management, financial literacy, and market access.
• Regularly monitor the implementation of market linkage activities and youth access to business development services to ensure quality and sustainability.
• Document and report progress, challenges, and lessons learned to improve future interventions.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture Enterprise Development, BSC Agriculture, or a related field. A master’s degree is a plus
• At least 3 years of experience in agribusiness, Market System development projects (market linkages, private sector Engagement, Investment Match making for Private sectors, or a related area.
• Strong knowledge of digital financial solutions (DFS), market information systems, and digital trade platforms.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers, youth groups, and women in rural/agricultural contexts.
• Proven ability to facilitate partnerships and market linkages between SHFs and institutional buyers.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and capacity-building skills.
• Experience in the agricultural sector within refugee or host community contexts.
• Familiarity with market dynamics in Uganda’s agricultural value chains, particularly with a focus on youth and women’s empowerment.

• Facilitate access to markets by establishing strong relationships between youth, women, smallholder farmers, and institutional buyers (e.g., WFP, PMO).
• Enhance digital trade platforms and market information systems to promote wider market access for SHFs, including digital solutions for record-keeping and financial transactions.
• Develop models for village aggregation centres (VACs) with storage and warehousing facilities to facilitate group marketing and bulk selling.
• Provide capacity-building support to SHF, youth and women in commercial production sectors, financial linkages, Bulking and Collective marketing, financial planning and records.
• Strengthen capacity of village savings and loan associations to operate efficiently and effectively.
• Facilitate skill development and short-term training sessions for youth to improve marketable skills and link them with decent work opportunities in agriculture and agribusiness.
• Strengthen financial inclusion by linking youth to financial service providers for access to working capital and entrepreneurial support.
• Foster partnerships with financial institutions, buyers, and cooperatives to enhance youth and women’s engagement in competitive agricultural markets.
• Strengthen the capacity of farmer groups (FGs) and farmer organizations (FOs) to promote collective marketing strategies and improve their negotiation power for better pricing.
• Facilitate the award and implementation of subsidy projects for youth groups to ease the movement of produce to markets.
• Provide continuous technical support to youth and farmer groups in business management, financial literacy, and market access.
• Regularly monitor the implementation of market linkage activities and youth access to business development services to ensure quality and sustainability.
• Document and report progress, challenges, and lessons learned to improve future interventions.

• Strong knowledge of digital financial solutions (DFS), market information systems, and digital trade platforms.
• Proven ability to facilitate partnerships and market linkages between SHFs and institutional buyers.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and capacity-building skills.
• Familiarity with market dynamics in Uganda’s agricultural value chains, particularly with a focus on youth and women’s empowerment.

• Bachelor’s degree in, Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agriculture Enterprise Development, BSC Agriculture, or a related field. A master’s degree is a plus
• At least 3 years of experience in agribusiness, Market System development projects (market linkages, private sector Engagement, Investment Match making for Private sectors, or a related area.
• Demonstrated experience working with smallholder farmers, youth groups, and women in rural/agricultural contexts.
• Experience in the agricultural sector within refugee or host community contexts.