Soya Crop Promotion Lead

About the company

Program: Sustainable Farmers

Your tasks

1. Position Purpose

The Soya Crop Promotion Lead will provide technical and operational leadership in planning, implementing and monitoring SOFDI's Soya Crop Promotion Component. The position will focus on strengthening smallholder farmers' capacity to sustainably produce soya, developing reliable seed production and multiplication systems, improving crop productivity and post-harvest management, and establishing effective market and supply linkages. A key responsibility will be coordinating farmer-led soya production and supply to support the ECD School Feeding Program, while promoting soya as a nutritious crop and a viable source of household income.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Planning and Coordination

• Develop and implement annual and seasonal soya production plans aligned with Program targets and market demand, including grower allocation, seed requirements, grain supply projections and implementation timelines.
• Prepare activity schedules, budgets and resource requirements to support effective component implementation.

• Coordinate field teams, ward leaders, lead farmers and relevant stakeholders to ensure timely implementation across target areas.
• Identify and manage production and supply risks, developing appropriate mitigation measures to minimise disruptions and achieve seasonal targets.

B. Farmer Mobilisation and Production Management

• Identify, profile and mobilise farmers for soya production based on seasonal targets, maintaining accurate records of grower participation, acreage, seed distribution and expected production.
• Establish farmer production commitments covering acreage, seed utilisation, expected harvest, seed saving and anticipated marketable grain.

• Coordinate farmer training and technical support on sustainable and agroecological soya production practices in accordance with SOFDI's Soya Production Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Develop and implement structured crop monitoring plans to assess crop establishment, growth, adoption of recommended practices and emerging production challenges, ensuring timely corrective measures.

• Develop and regularly update seasonal production forecasts based on acreage planted, crop performance and expected yields.

C. Seed Production and Multiplication

• Promote and strengthen community-based soya seed production and multiplication systems to ensure sustainable access to quality planting seed.
• Forecast seasonal seed requirements and coordinate seed multiplication, distribution, seed saving and payback arrangements to sustain community seed availability.

• Facilitate access to clean, quality-assured starter seed and technically support community seed producers in applying recommended seed production and management practices.
• Build farmers' capacity to assess, monitor and maintain seed quality through appropriate crop selection, harvesting, processing, storage and germination testing.

• Maintain accurate seed production, distribution, recovery and stock records to support seasonal planning, quality assurance and accountability.

D. Grain Production, Post-Harvest Management and Supply Coordination

• Coordinate grain production and develop seasonal supply forecasts aligned with school feeding requirements and other agreed market demands.
• Support farmers in appropriate harvesting, handling, drying and storage practices to minimise post-harvest losses and ensure compliance with grain quality standards.

• Coordinate grower-to-buyer linkages, including farmer allocation to designated schools, delivery scheduling, quantity verification and documentation.
• Coordinate contingency supply arrangements, including grain aggregation, storage and buffer stock management where necessary to address supply gaps.

• Monitor grain availability, deliveries and supply commitments, identifying shortfalls and coordinating timely corrective measures to ensure continuity of supply.

E. Farmer Enterprise Development and Market Coordination

• Promote soya as a viable agricultural enterprise by supporting farmers to understand production costs, profitability and income opportunities.
• Coordinate with the Collective Marketing Department and cooperatives to align farmer production, projected harvests and grain availability with market demand.

• Support farmers in meeting agreed market requirements, including grain quality, supply quantities, delivery schedules and production commitments.
• Identify production-related challenges affecting market participation and work with relevant teams to strengthen farmer engagement and supply reliability.

F. Monitoring, Data Management and Reporting

• Establish and maintain a comprehensive soya production and supply database covering grower participation, acreage, seed distribution, crop performance, projected and actual harvests, seed recovery and grain deliveries.
• Monitor soya productivity and seed multiplication performance, including germination rates, multiplication ratios, yields and factors influencing crop performance across different production seasons.

• Establish and monitor selected early-planted observation farms (watch farms) to track crop development, anticipate emerging pests, diseases and other production challenges, and generate timely advisories for the wider farming community.
• Analyse production data and assess variations between projected and actual yields, identifying production gaps, emerging trends and opportunities for improving productivity and supply reliability.

• Prepare regular production forecasts, progress reports and performance updates to support management decisions, documenting farmer experiences, lessons learnt and recommendations for continuous improvement.

Requirements

3. Education and Professional Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural

Extension, Agribusiness or a related field, with at least three (3) years of relevant

experience; or a Higher Diploma in a relevant agricultural discipline with at least

six (6) years of experience.

• Practical experience in smallholder crop production, farmer training, technical

extension and field monitoring.

• Knowledge of seed production and multiplication, post-harvest management and

agricultural market linkages.

• Additional training in sustainable agriculture, seed systems or project

management will be an added advantage.

4. Skills and Competencies

• Strong technical, analytical and planning skills, including crop performance

monitoring, yield forecasting and production data analysis.

• Understanding of agricultural value chains, farmer enterprise development and

market coordination.

• Strong leadership, organisational, problem-solving and communication skills, with

the ability to coordinate field activities and stakeholders.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and digital data collection and reporting tools.
• Ability to work independently, deliver results within agreed timelines and uphold

SOFDI's agroecological and farmer-centred approach.

Other

Duty Station: Vihiga County and Khwisero Sub-County

Contract Type: Full Time