Plant Protection and Production Assistant (Horticulture)

Organizational Context

FAO Afghanistan is actively investing across all 34 provinces to reinforce resilience, protect agricultural livelihoods, and enhance local ecosystems. The organization aims to boost local production of nutritious foods and cash incomes, while safeguarding critical agricultural development gains. FAO provides a combination of humanitarian and basic needs assistance to farmers and herders in agriculture, livestock, irrigation, and natural resources. This aligns with the 2024 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan and the United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan 2023-2027, specifically under Priority 2: Economic Opportunities and Resilient Livelihoods.

Job Purpose

The Plant Protection and Production Assistant (Horticulture) will deliver essential technical and operational support for the comprehensive planning, implementation, monitoring, and quality assurance of horticulture-related activities across various FAO projects. A primary focus of this role will be on critical areas such as the establishment of vegetable seed production and orchards, ensuring stringent quality control and selection of saplings, and the expert design of trellis systems, including both I and T trellis types, across multiple provinces. This position is crucial for enhancing horticultural practices and productivity within the region, contributing significantly to food security and sustainable agricultural development initiatives.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will provide technical guidance on climate-smart horticulture for marketable livelihoods and support the establishment and management of orchards, including site selection, land preparation, planting, irrigation, and overall orchard care, ensuring adherence to FAO standards. This includes technical oversight for orchard establishment across provinces and supporting the selection, inspection, and quality control of fruit saplings, considering varietal suitability and plant health. The role involves assisting with drafting technical specifications for procurement of horticulture inputs and providing technical assistance in designing and supervising trellis systems (I and T trellis) for various fruit crops. The assistant will support provincial teams and beneficiaries in trellis selection and monitoring, develop and deliver training packages on orchard management, pruning, trellising, nutrient management, and pest control. Additionally, the role includes producing and disseminating technical manuals, guidelines, and materials, supporting CIGs in market access for horticulture, and contributing to project reports and specialized publications, while offering broader technical guidance on horticulture's impact on food security.

Work Experience

Candidates must have a minimum of four years of field experience in implementing horticulture or agricultural programs. Desirably, this includes at least two years of experience working with the United Nations or an international non-governmental organization (INGO) in the horticulture or agriculture sector. The role requires practical experience in agricultural project execution.

Skills

Required skills include Results Focus, Teamwork, Communication, Building Effective Relationships, and Knowledge Sharing. Candidates should possess excellent organizational and coordination abilities, strong professional command of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), and the ability to work independently. Preferred skills include experience with the United Nations or other international organizations, clear writing and training delivery in required languages, experience in emergency conditions, organizing stakeholder meetings, expertise in horticulture with UN/INGO, understanding of climatic challenges for orchards, experience in setting up orchards and water management for plantations, and knowledge of marketing and value chain development.

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