Field Extension Intern at Nutri Nuts and Fruits Limited

Job Purpose

• To provide technical agricultural extension services and support to farmers to improve farm productivity, crop quality, sustainable farming practices, and reliable supply of quality raw materials to the company.
• The Field Extension Intern will serve as the link between the company and farmers by conducting farm visits, providing technical advice, monitoring crop development, supporting farmer training, collecting field data, and ensuring compliance with the company's agricultural and quality standards.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Farmer Engagement and Support

• Develop and maintain good working relationships with farmers and farmer groups.
• Register and maintain updated farmer records within the assigned area.
• Conduct regular farm visits and assess farmers' production practices.
• Identify farmers' challenges and provide appropriate technical recommendations.
• Respond to farmer inquiries and provide timely feedback.
• Mobilize farmers for company programmes, trainings, meetings and field activities.
• Support farmer group formation and development where applicable.

Agricultural Extension Services

• Provide farmers with technical advice on recommended crop production practices.
• Advise farmers on land preparation, planting, pruning, nutrition, pest and disease management, harvesting and post-harvest handling.
• Demonstrate good agricultural practices through farm demonstrations and field days.
• Conduct farmer training on productivity, quality and sustainable agricultural practices.
• Monitor adoption of recommended agricultural practices.
• Provide guidance on safe and responsible use of agricultural inputs.
• Identify pest, disease and other crop-related challenges and escalate serious cases to the relevant technical personnel.

Farm Monitoring and Field Assessments

• Conduct scheduled and routine farm inspections.
• Monitor crop health, farm productivity and expected harvest volumes.
• Assess farmer compliance with company requirements and applicable agricultural standards.
• Identify risks that may affect crop quality or supply.
• Prepare farm visit reports and document observations and recommendations.
• Follow up on previously identified issues to ensure corrective actions are implemented.

Quality and Post-Harvest Management

• Educate farmers on proper harvesting and post-harvest handling practices.
• Promote practices that minimize contamination, deterioration and physical damage to produce.
• Monitor farmer compliance with quality requirements.
• Advise farmers on proper drying, storage and handling of produce where applicable.
• Support traceability of produce from the farm to the company's collection or receiving points.
• Report any quality concerns or suspected cases of contamination or non-compliance.

Data Collection and Reporting

• Collect accurate farmer, farm and production data.
• Maintain updated records of farm visits, farmer activities, acreage, crop condition and estimated yields.
• Monitor and report estimated crop volumes within the assigned area.
• Prepare weekly and monthly field activity reports.
• Provide management with information on farmer performance, crop conditions and emerging challenges.
• Maintain accurate records of farmer training and extension activities.
• Use company-approved digital tools or systems to capture and submit field data.

Farmer Training and Capacity Building

• Organize and facilitate farmer training sessions.
• Develop practical demonstrations to improve farmer understanding and adoption of recommended practices.
• Train farmers on good agricultural practices, food safety, quality and environmental sustainability.
• Support awareness programmes on climate-smart agriculture and sustainable farming.
• Evaluate farmer understanding and adoption of training recommendations.

Supply and Harvest Coordination

• Support the Agriculture/Procurement team in estimating expected crop volumes.
• Monitor crop maturity and harvesting timelines.
• Communicate expected harvest volumes and timing to relevant departments.
• Support coordination between farmers, collection centers and the company.
• Identify potential supply gaps and communicate them to management in advance.

Compliance and Sustainability

• Promote compliance with applicable agricultural, environmental, food safety and company standards.
• Promote responsible use of water, fertilizers and crop protection products.
• Encourage environmentally sustainable farming practices.
• Support implementation of company sustainability and traceability programmes.
• Report any serious cases of non-compliance, unsafe practices or environmental risks.

Other Duties

• Participate in agricultural field days, farmer meetings and company events.
• Support surveys, research and pilot agricultural projects.
• Work closely with Quality, Procurement, Production and other relevant departments.
• Perform any other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the supervisor.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

• Number of farmers actively supported and monitored.
• Number of farm visits conducted against target.
• Farmer adoption rate of recommended agricultural practices.
• Farmer training sessions conducted.
• Accuracy and completeness of farmer and farm records.
• Accuracy of estimated crop yields and supply forecasts.
• Improvement in farmer productivity and crop quality.
• Reduction in rejected or poor-quality produce.
• Compliance with company agricultural and quality standards.
• Timeliness and quality of field reports.
• Farmer satisfaction and engagement levels.
• Traceability and documentation compliance

Core Competencies

• Strong agricultural and crop production knowledge.
• Good farmer engagement and relationship management skills.
• Training and facilitation skills.
• Good report-writing and documentation skills.
• Data collection and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
• Knowledge of food safety and quality requirements.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, Agricultural Extension, Crop Production or a related field.
• Additional training in agricultural extension, agribusiness, sustainability or related areas will be an added advantage.