Background
Sesame is an important agribusiness sector in Ethiopia. It is a priority crop in the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP). It has a significant turnover and more importantly, the sector has significant potential for further growth and development, both in terms of production and yield improvement, reduction of post-harvest losses, domestic value addition and in terms of market access and turnover.
The largest part of the Ethiopian sesame production and export originates from the lowlands in the North Western part of the country : KaftaHumera, Tsegede, Wolkayit, TahtayAdiyabo, Tselemti and AsgedeTsimbla woredas in Tigray Region and Metema, Quara, Tegede, Tach Armachiho, MirabArmachiho and Jawi woredas in Amhara Region.
The Sesame Business Network (SBN) is a largely informal innovation network that is driven by local entrepreneurs and other stakeholders, who work together with the aim to move forward in their respective sesame related business ventures.
The Netherlands Government, through its Embassy in Ethiopia, funds a support project called BENEFIT-SBN which allows for accompanying the sesame sector stakeholders to achieve their objectives. The BENEFIT-SBN project provides its support in the above mentioned 12 sesame producing woredas.
The objectives of the support project follow the (economic) objectives of the members of the SBN. Research, extension training and facilitation services are supportive to SBN member initiatives, which in turn are linked to clear economic objectives of the participating stakeholders. Capacity and innovation development, in combination with knowledge sharing and learning, support the effective development and uptake of innovations to address identified challenges. Access to input and output finance has been identified as one of the major challenges of the sesame sector.
For more information on the Sesame Business Network and the Benefit-SBN project, visit: www.sbnethiopia.org
Duties and responsibilities:
The main role of the agri-finance advisor, one of the senior positions in the Benefit-SBN project team,is the development and coordination of the Benefit-SBN project activities for improving farmers’ access to input and marketing credit and for improving the attractiveness of the sesame production zones as an investment zone and service area of financial institutions, both for commercial banks and micro-finance institutions.
This role, which the agri-finance advisor plays in close collaboration with key stakeholders and the Benefit-SBN team, implies the following duties and responsibilities:
Place of work: Gondar; at Gondar Agricultural Research Centre. The position will involve frequent field travel to sesame producing woredas in the lowlands of North West of Ethiopia (Amhara and Tigray regions).
Qualification and experience:
He/she:
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