PATTA Background: Outdated and ineffective agricultural technologies are among the leading causes for Pakistan’s agricultural productivity falling short of its potential. Scaling up the production, distribution, and adoption of agricultural technologies in Pakistan is made challenging by lack of information, difficulty in accessing credit, a wide dispersion of smallholders, and diverse of challenges facing marginalized subsets of smallholder farmers – such as women.
PATTA Description: PATTA will bring to scale private sector solutions to improve agricultural productivity in Pakistan through a four-year activity. PATTA will partner with agricultural technology companies to commercialize products and services with the potential to increase the productivity and competitiveness of smallholder farmers while mobilizing private sector investment in agricultural technology. PATTA’s partnership will provide smallholder farmers with boarder access to affordable technologies to increase productivity, build resilience to climate change and reduce postharvest losses. In so doing, PATTA expects to achieve the following results:
- Increase smallholder farmer access to affordable, appropriate and effective agricultural technologies;
- Enable agricultural technology-related businesses to expand and adapt their products and services to meet smallholders needs;
- Scale up the adoption and use of agricultural technologies.
STTA Background: The horticulture sector contributes to about 12% of Pakistan’s GDP and provides employment and incomes to several actors along related value chains. The horticulture sector of Pakistan has huge potential of grapes for commercial production to contribute to GDP of the country. Agriculture (Extension) Department Mardan has established 43 grape orchards under district government scheme "Commercial cultivation grapes in District Mardan". As the grapes plantation is pure new intervention with farmers. FSC, Mardan, KP has requested PATTA to organize training regarding the grapes cultivation, proper care, pruning, training, fertilizer application, picking of fruits, packaging and integrated orchard management. Capacity building activity will broaden the vision and knowledge of the farmers about cuttings, pruning, trainings and different propagation methods
STTA Objective and Scope: As part of PATTA’s integrated strategy, awareness of best practices in production technologies of different crops, PATTA is seeking a Horticulture Specialist to deliver training, demonstration and develop comprehensive guide on training and pruning of grapes. The assignment focusses on canopy management of grapes for farmers associated with Farm Service Center and stakeholders involved in growing of grapes.
The consultant’s tasks will include, but not be limited to:
- Conduct of hands-on training for production of high quality grapes through best practices with focus on grapevine pruning and training practices
- Guide the farmers and stakeholders on best time for pruning and equipment required for pruning and training of grapevine with following guidelines
- Type of secateurs used for pruning
- Prerequisites and hygiene requirements for use of secateurs
- Provide detailed and comprehensive guidelines on canopy management, suckering, shoot removal and training to provide vine with good sun exposure, air movement, balance and fruit uniformity.
- Provide fundamentals of canopy management and fruit zone management.
- Providing concept of vine balance, removal of diseased, dead and damaged branches and pruning for branching and better vascular flow.
- Demonstrate techniques of grapes canopy management like crop thinning, cluster thinning or cluster removal, leaf removal, shoot positioning and mature vine training
- Demonstrate the pruning and training of grapevines in field with best practices by using recommended equipment
- Develop a comprehensive guideline on canopy management of grapevines and recommendations to improve grapes cultivation technology
STTA Deliverables:
- Detailed work plan and a brief suggested methodology during the period of assignment to PATTA technical team and COP.
- Develop a curriculum, including related documents, powerpoint presentation, and training guide, for conducting capacity building session.
- Develop information material brochures in accordance with international best practices
- Detailed comprehensive report/guidelines of canopy management of grapevines
- Any other tasks assigned by the COP
Desired Qualifications:
- Master degree in the field of Agriculture, Horticulture or a related field, with more than 10 years of professional experience in conducting training programs or studies related to production technologies of fruit, especially grapes.
- Experience working with USAID-funded projects, with a focus on the agriculture sector.
- Excellent computer skills (word processing, Excel and PowerPoint).
- Excellent report writing skills
- Experience working in complex environments, with strong interpersonal skills and good ability to communicate in local language both verbally and through writing.