Regional Plant Breeder

About Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and livestock (MAIL)

The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock is a key ministry of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan that aims to develop the agriculture, irrigation and livestock of the rural and urban communities. The Ministry is expected to lay the foundations for a long-term strengthening of local agriculture, to promote governance, to rebuild social capital and leadership within villages and neighborhoods, and to provide assistance for rehabilitation and development to communities.

The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is launching the Emergency Agriculture & Food Supply Project (EATS) in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The Project objective is to support critical food supply chains and create short-term economic opportunities. The Project includes three components: (A) Productive agricultural water systems; (B) Critical food supply chain management; and (C) Project management. The Project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) and financed by grants from the International Development Association (World Bank) and the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF).

The Project design is based on the experience and knowledge acquired from several on-going or recently closed projects, including: On-Farm Water Management Project (OFWMP), National Horticulture and Livestock Project (NHLP), Afghanistan Agricultural Improvement Project (AAIP), all three projects implemented by MAIL and Irrigation Rehabilitation and Development Project (IRDP) implemented by MEW. The Project will use a community driven development approach through the Community Development Councils (CDC) building on the experience of the Citizens Charter Afghanistan Project implemented by MRRD, among others.

A Project Management Unit (PMU) staffed with National Technical Assistance (NTA) is financed by the Project to support the national, provincial and district offices of MAIL for its implementation. The PMU is led by a Project Director based in Kabul

Job Summary

The Regional Plant Breeder will be working under the direct supervision of the Regional Manager and Senior Agricultural Specialist and in close coordination with the ARIA Regional and DAIL offices. He/she will be responsible to support ARIA stations in production of breeder wheat seed and design experiments; support the SOE to produce quality foundation seed;

The Regional Plant Breeder will work under the overall supervision of the Regional Manager and Senior Agricultural Specialist and in close collaboration with the Agricultural Research staff of ARIA, CIMMYT and other ARIA research partners.

Duties & Responsibilities

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

·      Provide technical and scientific guidance in day-to-day management of the national variety trials;

·      Support conducting variety maintenance program;

·      Support selection of appropriate sites for optimum production of breeder seed;

·      Ensure all inputs are available in the right quantity, of the right quality and at the right times for efficient seed production;

·      Ensure the best agronomic practices in the field and post-harvest handling operations including processing and packaging are used for breeder seed;

·      Conduct internal quality assurance measures as appropriate;

·      Work closely with the seed certification service to ensure timely and appropriate field inspection, collection of seed samples, seed testing and availability of test results;

·      Ensure proper management of seed storage to avoid quality deterioration and ensure effective breeder seed delivery to ARIA Stations when necessary;

·      Manage training of field level staff in essential technical aspects of breeder seed production; and

Any other tasks as required by his supervisor.

Job Requirements

Master’s degree and at least 4 years of professional experience or Bachelor’s degree and at least eight years of professional experience in a relevant discipline (plant breeding, crop improvement, and seed agricultural research programs);

Strong analytical and report writing skills;

Fluent in English Language and shall have strong report writing skills

Submission Guideline

Interested Afghans with the required qualifications and experience should submit their applications electronically through Email address

While submitting your applications please mention the Title of the position (Regional Plant Breeder) (Province) plus Vacancy Number in the subject of the e-mail; please do NOT submit any other supporting documentation or educational certificates with your application. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for written test or interview.

Note: please do not forget to mention the province name in subject line of your email

Functional Area

General

Countries

Submission Email

hrcontracts.hrd@mail.gov.af

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