Food Security Safety

Location:

Nairobi, Nairobi County, Kenya

Posted:

August 31, 2024

Contact this candidate

Resume:

JAMES MWAILENGO KITURI

Telephone: +254********* Email: ad8dt5@r.postjobfree.com

NATIONALITY KENYAN

CARREER OBJECTIVE

Seeking an opportunity where my knowledge and working experience gained in 23 years in areas of Food security and livelihood assignments with private sector, local and International NGOs will be utilized for the benefit of humanity and professional growth

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Strong analytical skills with passion to solving problems and making independent judgments and decisions.

Team player with good inter- personal and communication skills.

Easily adaptive to new environments.

Good negotiator and organizational skills.

Proficient in Microsoft office programs

Excellent numeracy, literacy, and organizational skills

Quick and ready learner, flexible with plenty of initiative and good interpersonal relations

CAREER SUMMARY

Over 20 years of experience in farmer mobilization and training on agricultural production, farm standards, group governance, contract farming and facilitating market linkages.

Currently spearheading Agricultural farm standards, food security and livelihood assignments with KIMKA Horticultural consultants.

Equipped with the knowledge and skills of implementing food safety standards (Globalgap and Organic standards), HACCP and SMETA

Established & maintained strong working partnerships with government relevant staff, NGOs and agricultural value chain actors and other stakeholders in Kenya.

Demonstrated ability to control costs through the most effective uses of available resources

Appreciable knowledge on USAID rules and regulations.

Considerable practice in Global good agricultural practice (GLOBALGAP) auditing, Setting up quality management systems for groups and training SMEs on food safety, Researches (baseline, mid-term and end of project evaluations), Capacity building (Agro dealers, farmers and Service providers) for food security and agricultural markets, business planning, value chain analysis, implementing Globalgap, GRASP, SMETA and fair trade standard audits.

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION

[1993-1998] Egerton University (Njoro) – Bachelor of science Degree in Horticulture.

[2010-2015] Assorted short trainings along agricultural value chains

WORKING EXPERIENCE

March 2015 to date: KIMKA Horticultural Consultants

Lead Agronomist

Responsibilities:

Researches/Survey assignment lead

Extension service provision promoting climate smart agriculture practices to individual and group farmers on behalf of clients/buyers.

Preparing farms/farmers for Globalgap/GRASP Certification, SMETA and Organic farming standards with farmer groups and individual farms.

Technically setting up companies for entrepreneurs interested venturing into fresh produce export business,

Market linkages upstream from farm level to international markets

Management of end-to-end production system including training of users and consolidation of feedback for system improvements.

Proposal writing for businesses and livelihood projects

Lead negotiations including dispute resolution with farmers and fresh produce dealers seeking the most favorable possible outcomes for their businesses.

Ensure that all contracts assigned deliverables are tracked and inspected/accepted before payment is made and that all contracts’ modifications and/or close-outs are done on time.

Ensure all assignments are adequately and accurately documented and that such records are safely maintained and easily available on need.

Lead drafting, and implementation of Localized Manuals, templates and Standard operating procedures covering all standards.

Ensure company relevant staff are continually oriented on existing farm standards with a view of enhancing staff’s capacity and enhancing compliance.

Support company directors and all staff in the continuous review and improvement of internal controls with a view of maximizing efficiency and effectiveness on matters related to production and produce packing operations department.

Work closely with the companies on initiatives geared towards enhancing the capacity of farms and farmers as necessary including providing oversight in the execution and management of farmers on production procedures required.

Participate in the external audit as well as internal reviews and support in the implementation of any recommendations made.

Provide oversight in the administration and accounting of farm consumables. Ensure that all inventory items are tagged upon purchase and inventoried in accordance with the set policies

Work with stakeholders within the Agriculture sector to ensure that KIMKA H. Consultants is always updated on the business environments and that staff are timely informed of any business risks where necessary.

Developed three (3) training manuals: One manual on training Private Service Providers on passion fruits and Mango production and another on Training farmer groups on Effective Business Farmer Group Governance,

Trained Private Service Providers on passion fruit production in parts of Kwale County

Developed baseline survey tools, led the team in carrying out survey, processed, analyzed data and prepared the report on African Bird Eye Chilies and general food security in selected counties located in parts of Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu counties

Implemented Globalgap standard with 8 groups based in Makueni and Machakos counties

Projects

December 2009 to February 2015 - USAID/FINTRAC projects

Agronomist in Kitui Makueni and Machakos Region Implementing USAID-Kenya Horticulture Development Project (KHDP) – BISEP and Kenya 2009 – 2011 and Horticulture competitiveness Project under BISEP (KHDP project and KEITT Exporters LTD

Responsibilities:

Brought on board 350 farmer groups carrying out farming activities and water harvesting in Makueni, Kitui and Machakos counties

Farmer trainings on fruits and vegetable production technologies including mango seedling propagation

Strengthened project activities as a technical backstop on all matters regarding production of fodder, drought tolerant crops mostly pulses (green grams, cowpeas and pigeon peas) and local and export fruits and vegetables;

Administrative functions regarding the projects,

Participated in developing project proposals (Partnership funds), for implement ation of activities in Eastern (Kitui, Makueni and Machakos Counties) .

Other farmer training activities included production of Asian vegetable, Rain water harvesting, Market linkages, Mapping out and Identifying production areas and producer groups,

Conducting baseline survey on new client production areas, crop varieties, volumes, sales, incomes and gender employment,,

Provided 302 farmer groups in Eastern with sources of market information, including prices, volumes and market locations as well as training in the use of information to make production decisions;

Development of training manuals, modules and programs for the agronomists. Developed mango baseline survey tools, oversaw the survey, analyzed using SPSS and reported the findings.

Participated in data collection during evaluation of project

Sept 2011 to January 2013: Global Communities (formally CHF) International Kenya- Food Security and seed system program-Lower Eastern part of Kenya (USAID funded program)

Agricultural Officer Responsibilities:

Proving technical support on the development of agriculture training materials.

Coordinating agriculture training and technical assistance activities being carried out by partners to the organization mainly Africa Harvest, Grain Pro, Agrochemical companies, Ministry of Agriculture: livestock, crops and Home economic departments and Ministry of Health: nutrition department to ensure appropriate and quality training and appropriate distribution of sponsored inputs to target beneficiaries on pre formulated rules of engagement in the form of memorandum of understanding. Training community mobilizers on production

Initiating, monitoring and overseeing kitchen garden activities roll out.

Lead technical advisor for the P4P market linkage program and other efforts to build linkages that help target farmers to increase their market integration, profits and product quality.

Strategic planning of seed fairs, P4P field days, nutrition trainings, TOTs on Nutrition Education and behavior change as well as Community nutrition events whilst ensuring engagement of all the actors in the crops value chains

Recruit and train 3500 farmers in liaison with other partners on DRC production (pulses and grain crops), Training of community mobilizers on agricultural production, train 705 kitchen garden beneficiaries and train on all agronomic requirements of vegetable (local and nutritionally dense) production. Carried out a baseline survey, monitoring and final evaluation of PRESERVE - Plus project

Participated in Monitoring and evaluation of project

Reporting on achievements of projects on weekly and monthly basis

July 2003- December 2009: Various Fresh Produce Exporting companies:

Agronomist: 2003 – 2009 namely Avenue Fresh Produce Ltd, Fresh Approach Ltd, East African growers Ltd, Benvar Country Fresh Ltd and Keitt Exporters, Ambango Fresh Greens

Responsibilities:

Agronomic services to both individual and small scale farmers,

Recruit and train small scale farmers to grow crops for the company’s markets overseas (French beans, Chilies, Snow peas, Passion fruits, baby corn and Asian vegetables) as well as training and implementing farm standards.

Organizing and supervising produce collection centers

TRAININGS ATTENDED

Crop protection and Safe use of pesticides, Food hygiene and safety, risk analysis, TOT skills, Farmer group governance, Internal auditor training - Globalgap IFA Inspector, Training of trainers program on group dynamics, Hygiene and traceability, Soil Fertility Management and Fertilizer Use, TOT - Entrepreneurship, Farmer group formation and management, Monitoring and Evaluation training and SPSS Data analysis, Organic farming and standards

SKILLS &LANGUAGES

Proficient in Basic computer applications.

Driving (possess a valid driving license class B.C.E) AA Driving School.

Languages: English (Excellent), Kiswahili (Excellent)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Smart Farms Association of Kenya

REFERENCES

Dr. David Ojwang, Sector Lead,

SNV,

071*******

ad8dt5@r.postjobfree.com

Onesmus Kyule,