How to Grow Cucumbers for Profit

In many nations of the world, the agric sector has been proven to be one of the major income generators. As a matter of fact, no nation can survive without a vibrant agric sector or putting in place a provision for the importation of food for its citizens. So as an entrepreneur if you are looking for a business to start, you can consider starting your own agriculture related business and one of the business you can successfully start is a cucumber farm.

Cucumber is a vegetable that is widely consumed all over the world in different form due to the health benefits it posses; in some quarters, cucumbers are referred to as super – food simply because of the overall health benefit one stands to gain when it is consumed. Some of the health benefits of cucumber are; it is a good source of vitamins A, B1, B6, C and D, it is used to stimulate hair growth and it is also used for the treatment of skin irritation. Cucumber are also effective in the fight against cancer, they are also used in the treatment of diabetes. They can be used to cure bad breath, hangover and to rehydrate the body.

Statistics as it that cucumber happens to be among the top 4 vegetable that is cultivated and consumed on a global scale. No doubt starting a cucumber farm can be considered to be relatively cheap and it is highly profitable. Now let us quickly consider the steps to follow to be able to start your own cucumber farm from the scratch;

Starting a Cucumber Farm – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Conduct Your Feasibility Studies
Conducting a research and a feasibility study of the line of business you want to start is just the wisest thing to do. There are various species / breeds / varieties of cucumber and there are regions where these species can thrive the most; conducting your own research and feasibility studies will give you the information you need to start your own cucumber farm in the right location. Truly, the report you get from your feasibility studies will give you a clearer picture of the cost implication of starting a cucumber farm and how you can easily attract customers to buy from you once your cucumbers are ready for harvest. One good thing about cucumber is that it can be cultivated all through the year as long as there is adequate supply of water.

2. Write Your Business Plan

Writing a business plan for any business you are about to launch can never be over emphasized. Although the average farmer won’t bother writing a business plan, but the truth remains that if you can successfully draft your own business plan for your cucumber farm, then you will be certain that you will do pretty well with the business. Your business plan will prepare you to run an organized farm. As a matter of fact, with a good business plan, you can easily attract loans from investors and financial institutions to grow your cucumber farm into a highly mechanized farm.

3. Acquire Farm Land in a Suitable Location

Although cucumber can grow in any location as long as there are sunshine, and water supply but it grows very well in a rich humid soil. So if you want to struggle less and save operational cost, it is advisable that you choose a farm land that is located in an area that is humid and highly fertile – a farm land close to a water bed is ideal.

The truth is that if you choose to cultivate cucumber in an area with scarcity of rain and far from a river, then you will spend more on irrigation and operational cost et al. Just make sure that you consult expert to help you with a good location to start your own cucumber farm since you want to cultivate it on a commercial scale.

4. Prepare Your Land and Plant Your Cucumber Seed

Once you are able to secure your farm land, then the next thing to do is to prepare the land before planting your cucumber seedlings. Part of what you need to do to prepare your farm land for the cultivation of cucumber is to clear all the grasses in the land, till the land and apply fertilizer (especially if you are not interested in organic farming) and then dig holes of about 2.5cm deep to plant the cucumber seeds and then ensure that each hole is spaced 40cm apart to allow for good growth. You can also prepare your cucumber farm land (in rows and columns) to allow for easy passage of both human and tractors for the purpose of watering, weeding and harvesting.

5. Harvest and Market Your Cucumber

The fact that cucumbers are generally consumed all over the world because of its health values makes the vegetable very easy to market. The truth is that, you are likely not going to struggle to market your cucumber simply because cucumbers are always in high demand. So all you need to do is to inform locals that you have cucumber to sell and they will come rushing to your farm.

You also have the option to either sell in wholesale or retail your cucumbers in a fruit / vegetable market around you. You can also become a major supplier to companies who are into the processing of cucumbers. Just ensure that your cucumbers are big, green and attractive and you will struggle less to attract customers.

Lastly, you must ensure that you make use of the right pesticide whenever pest attack you cucumber farm so that your cucumber can come out beautiful. Another option that you can choose if you want to go into cucumber farming is to go the organic way. Cucumbers that are grown organically are more expensive than normal cucumber and you stand the chance of making more profit.

There you have it, the 5 steps to follow to be able to start your own cucumber farm from the scratch.

Source: 9jaagric
Picture credit: rareseeds, en.wikipedia

FAO launches the #soils4life Instagram contest

Post a photo, raise awareness on the importance of soils, win a prize! 

This year, soils are at the centre of global attention. As part of the International Year of Soils, we are turning to you to help FAO highlight the importance of sustainable soil management.

We are launching the #soils4life contest on Instagram to share photos related to soils, their potential, their functions, but also instances of exploitation or abuse to help draw attention to the myriad of issues concerning this valuable resource. 

How to participate: 

1.Take a photo of something you want to draw attention to regarding soils and share it on Instagram. The photo must be original, which means you should take it yourself. Your photos are governed under the Instagram terms of use.

2.Tell in the posting where the photo was taken, and why you think soils are important for a healthy life. Include the hashtag #soils4life. Don’t forget to set your account to “public” to have your likes counted!

3.In the first round of the contest, the 20 photos with the most likes on their Instagram account will be selected for a second round of voting. Other social media channels do not matter for this contest!

4.The final 20 photos will be featured on the @UNFAO Instagram account and a photo album will be shared on the FAO webpage.

5.During the second round, people will vote on the FAO Instagram account the three out of twenty best soil photos.

Dates:

The first stage of the contest will run from 2 April until 17 May. All photos posted during this time with #soils4life hashtag will be eligible.

The final counting for likes will take place on 17 May and the 20 finalists will be selected and their pictures posted on the FAO Instagram account the following week. The finalists will be contacted by the FAO social media team for more information.

The second stage of the contest will start on 25 May.

The three most voted photos out of the twenty on our Instagram account will be announced on 15 June.

Prizes for the three winners will include an International Year of Soils goody bag to be delivered directly to the winners*. 

Spread the word:

Even if you don’t participate in the contest, you can spread the word across your network and help us raise awareness of the contest and the International Year of Soils. We are looking for photos related to soils from around the world, which can cover any aspect that you deem important and want to share. If you want to share more than one photo, please do! There is no limit to how many pictures you can post!

* The social media team in FAO will contact all winners for their high resolution photos as well as for information on where to deliver prizes. 

Source:  http://www.fao.org/soils-2015/news/news-detail/en/c/280970/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social+media&utm_campaign=fao+facebook

How to Start a Plantain Farm

If you live in India, Florida, the Caribbean and Africa especially around West Africa and Central Africa, then one of the most profitable businesses you can go into if you are interested in the agric sector is to go into plantain farming. West Africa happens to be one of the few places around the world where plantain can successfully be cultivated simply because they have the best soil composition that can support the growth of plantains and they can boast of having over 100 species of plantain.

The capital required to setup a plantain farm can be considered to be moderate but it is indeed a very profitable business to go into as an entrepreneur who lives in Nigeria or in any country with a tropical climate. The basic thing you need to do to get started with your own plantain farm is to secure farming land, prepare the land and then cultivate your plantain.

The fact that loads of people eat plantain makes plantain farming a very lucrative business. Plantains can be eaten when fried or cooked. Plantains can be processed into various forms; it can be processed as juice, and it can as well be processed as plantain chips, amongst others.

Now let us quickly go through the 7 steps to follow to be able to start your own plantain farm from the scratch in any location of your choice;

Starting a Plantain Farm – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Conduct Your Research

Plantain does not grow in every part of the world; there are selected regions where plantains can be cultivated. For example, plantains do not grow in South Africa. So, if you want to go into plantain farming, it is very important that you conduct your research before committing your money into plantain farming. Your research exposes you to the most suitable area to start your plantain farm; it will give you idea of where to get plantain seeds (suckers) and how to market your plantain.

2. Write Your Business Plan

Every serious entrepreneur makes it a point of duty to write a workable business plan before starting a new business. Hence, the right thing to do if you intend starting your own plantain farm, is to sit down and write your business plan. Your business plan should be able to capture all the strategies you would use to run your plantain farm business, your vision and mission statement and your expansion strategies et al. As a matter of fact, when you pencil down your business plan, you might see the need to even go beyond just running your own plantain farm to including food processing (plantain processing) plant to your business.

3. Acquire Suitable Land and then Prepare the Land

Plantain is known to grow only in regions with tropical climate. So, if you want to start your own plantain farm, you must make sure you acquire suitable land with the right soil composition for your plantain farm. On the average, you might need at least 2 hectares of land if you want to go into commercial plantain farming. Once you have been able to secure a farm land, the next thing that you should do is to prepare the land. In preparing your land for your plantain farm you might have to adjust the PH value of your farm land if it is not suitable. Also in preparing your land for plantain farming, your laborers would have to dig holes all over the land where the suckers (plantain seeds) will be planted.

4. Source for suckers (plantain seeds)

One key factor that can affect your plans to start your own plantain farm is how to source for suckers (plantain seeds) in large quantities. One good thing about plantain farming is that once you are able to get started, the farm can be sustained for over 3 decades without sourcing for new suckers (plantain seeds). Plantain grows rapidly and they reproduce without stress once they are planted in a suitable land.

5. Hire Laborers

Running a plantain farm is not a business that an individual could run alone. You would need laborers to help you. You would need laborers to help you in clearing and preparing your farm land, you would need laborers to help you in planting the plantains, you would need laborers to help you in watering your plantain farm, you would need laborers to help you weed your farm and also to help you during harvest.

One good thing about farm laborers is that they are cheaper simply because they are considered as unskilled. But if you are running a mechanized plantain farm, then you would have to up your budget to accommodate machineries and operators.

6. Make Plans for Harvest

One thing about plantain farming is that if you are not apt in harvesting your plantain when they are due, they might become over ripe and get rotten (spoilt) and that may mean bad business for you. So, once you know the cycle of plantain farming, then you must make plans to harvest and sell your plantain at the right time so that you won’t run at a loss.

7. Market Your Plantain

The market for plantain is large and as a plantain farmer, you must explore all the available avenues to sell your plantains as soon as they become ripe for harvest. You can market your plantain to food processing companies, and you can market it to plantain retailers. The fact that plantain are consumed by many people and can be processed into different forms makes plantain farming business a very lucrative business to go into. So ensure that you develop a good marketing strategy for your plantain farming business if indeed you want to maximize profits in the business.

Lastly, if you have the capacity to establish your own plantain processing company alongside running your own plantain farm, then you will be rest assured to truly maximize profits. Truly plantain farming business has been proven to be a profitable venture and you can make more money from the business if you engage in mechanize farming, it will give you leverage in the market place.

Credit: 9aagric

Picture credit: food.ndtv.com, nairaland and audaciousnessblogspot

How to Start a Catfish Farm

Are you enthusiastic about starting a business in the agriculture sector? Do you need a sample catfish farming business plan template? Then below is an in-depth guide for starting a catfish farming business in Nigeria or anywhere else.

There is so much money to be made in aquaculture (Tilapia fish farming, catfish farming, shrimp, prawn and lobster breeding); if done right. There are so many businesses you can invest in and still make huge profits! You don’t have to bang your head developing software’s or importing and exporting; you can go into catfish farming, and still be successful.

Catfish farming is a lucrative form of fish farming business. I have seen several unemployed folks make it through this business; you too can also be successful if you understand the real keys to success.

Six Reasons Why Catfish Farming is a Profitable Business
i. Fish is one of the cheap sources of protein and a good substitute for meat. In fact, no meal is consumed in Nigeria without fish or meat. Secondly, fish is a source of white meat and is recommended by health practitioners over red meat.

ii. The population of Nigeria is about 150million and this population is estimated to overtake that of the United states by year 2050. Now what does this mean for catfish farmers? The truth behind this statistics is that there is a ready market for fish and the demand for fish cannot be met by local producers alone.

iii. There are a lot of recreation centers in Nigeria especially restaurants, fast food outlets and bars; and fish (Point and Kill or Fish barbeque) is one of the favorite food on the menus of these hangouts. You can even make money by focusing on being a regular catfish supplier for these restaurants and bar.

iv. The operating cost for catfish farming (feed and maintenance) is very low especially when compared to poultry farming.

v. In the month of December 2013, the federal government of Nigeria implemented and enforced a law banning the importation of frozen fish. This move was made to encourage the local production of fish. Now the truth is that the demand for fish cannot be met by local producers alone, so there is presently a market gap waiting to be filled by smart entrepreneurs who can be bold enough to venture into fish farming.

vi. There is a massive support and established credit line put in place by the federal and state governments for farmers (both crop and livestock farmers). Also, there is a fund set aside every year by the Central Bank of Nigeria and other commercial banks in Nigeria to encourage and support farmers.

Starting Small Scale Catfish Farming in Nigeria – Sample Business Plan Template
What You Need to Get Started

a. The Right Mindset

The first and probably the most important key to starting a successful catfish farm is the right mindset. Before embarking on this business venture, you must bear in mind that success in the agricultural sector, especially livestock breed is not instantaneous. So you must be prepared to endure the challenges of the business and keep improving your farm equipment and breeding methodology over time.

b. The Basic Knowledge

The need to have at least the basic knowledge of any business you want to venture can never be over emphasized. Never invest a dime to setup a catfish farm without first investing time to learn the fundamentals of catfish farming (how the fishes feed and reproduce, their favorite habitat, common diseases that affect them, etc).

A good way to get this knowledge firsthand is to visit a catfish fish farm and make all the inquiry you need. It is even more better if you can serve as an apprentice to a catfish farm owner for at least 60Days, this will equip you with both knowledge and experience. You should also read book and attend seminars relating to catfish farming and management.

c. A Properly Conducted Feasibility Study

A feasibility study is important as it will help you identify the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities existing in the fish industry. It will also help you ascertain the best place to site your fish farm, the total cost it would require to set up the farm and also prepare you for the challenges ahead.

d. A Well Written Business Plan

If you are really serious about setting up a catfish farm, then you should invest in writing a business plan. This is very important as it helps you prepare and execute your growth strategies properly. Secondly, you need a business plan if you intend to raise capital, or secure a loan from the bank for your fish farm.

Lastly, you will need a business plan to access the various funds and support line established by the government and other institution. So start writing your business plan today. You can seek the services of an agriculture business consultant if you need help computing the financial estimates and projections.

e. You Need a Land To Use

Before going into the catfish farming business, you need to acquire or lease at least a full or half plot of land in a good location. The land should also be accessible by road. This is important as you would want your potential customers to experience difficulty while trying to locate your farm to buy your produce. As soon as the land is available, you can start allocating for each task. There should also be a decent space for the farm house ponds, and a good location for drainage facility.

f. Reliable Water Supply Source

To operate your fish farm efficiently, overhead tanks must be installed, and borehole must also be considered; as it’s the best source of water for catfish farming. You must ensure that there is a constant supply of water on a daily basis as the fishes need it. The water system must not fail even if it means you backing it up with a reliable water facility.

g. Pond Construction

Don’ try to fix the pond yourself. You need the service of a consultant. Without a well constructed pond, your business won’t be able to stand the test of time; and you may end up spending more in the LONG RUN! You may choose to go for a plastic pond tank to save cost, or you can opt for building the concrete ponds.

How to Succeed in the Catfish Farming Business
1. Know your market

What are their needs?
What are the things they crave for?
What’s your market demand?
What are the things that keep them awake at night?
It is your duty to identify and answer these questions. You need this information to make it BIG! If you can provide solution to them, you won’t have any problem. You must tailor your production to meet your market requirements.

2. Start small

This reminds me of a verse in the bible that says,

“Despise not the days of little beginnings.”
‘’precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little, there a little.’’
If you want your tree to become a forest, then you should not despise the days of little beginning. Invest wisely. Don’t be in a haste to expand. Also, you should not spend your profits on frivolities; instead, build more ponds for production.

3. Seek advice from proven experts. Select those with proven track record in the business and seek advice from them. This will help you avoid costly mistakes.

4. Manage your business wisely.

5. Adopt appropriate production technology

6. Don’t be afraid to take business risks. You won’t know it works unless you make an attempt.

7. Be willing to change sick fishes for your customers at no charge. Without your customers, you won’t go far in the business. Honor promises to your customers and change any fish they don’t like. It is very important.

Two More Tips for Running a Successful Catfish Farming Business
Note: If you really want to make lots of money in this business, you have to focus your attention on breeding from the infant stage.

A. The Breeding Stage

Before you venture into catfish farming, you need to get a hold of the fingerlings and know the price. They can be obtained mainly through hormonal induction or artificial production, but if you prefer producing your own fertilized eggs, you may have to make use of the homoplastic gland suspension.

Common catfish species found in Nigeria:

Clarias nigro-digitatus
Heteroclarias
Clarias gariepinus
Heterobranchus bidorsalis
Heterobranchus sp (commonly found in the South Eastern part of Nigeria)
Clarias spp (this specie dominates the south west)
B. Feeding Methods

You have to ensure your feeds contain essential nutrients like lhysine, arginine and methionine. The best type of meal to go for is fishmeal; but due to its high cost, it Is advisable not to go for it (that is if you are just starting out on a low budget); instead, you can use other conventional means such as Soya bean cake, groundnut cake or plant residue (these conventional foods also meet the nutrient requirements of catfish).

When feeding your catfish; it is advisable to do it on a particular section of the pond instead of just spraying it across the water surface (this helps regulate the wastage of feed).

9 Challenges of Starting a Fish Farming Business In Nigeria
Fish farming is a very lucrative business and a profit maker all year round. The reason for its profitability can be attributed to the fact that it is a food and it is always in demand. In fact, the demand for fish can never be met because of the massive population we have especially here in Nigeria.

However, there are certain challenges commercial fish farming entrepreneurs face worldwide and these challenges are also peculiar to all branches of fish farming like Tilapia fish farming, Catfish farming, etc. So regardless of whether you are in Ghana, India, Pakistan, Canada, USA, South Africa, etc; you will surely find this information useful.

Fish farming is capital intensive.
It is labor or management intensive
Cannibalism and high mortality rate of fingerlings
Pest and predators
Lack of market orientation
There is a ready market for fish both locally and internationally but most fish farmers have the habit of looking for customers to purchase their fish when the fish are matured for sale. Now this poor orientation and lateness in scouting for customers makes the marketing of fish too poor.

As the fishes keep on feeding, the pond gets to its maximum loading point and the fish will stop growing. The more the fishes stays in the pond after they have stopped growing, the lesser the profit margin. So it is advisable for fish farmers to always begin scouting for customers as early as possible before the fishes mature for sale, so that it will be easier for them to market the fishes without incurring any extra cost or loss.

Lack of suitable farm site
Inability to acquire a suitable location for their fish farm is another challenge of establishing a fish farm successfully. A good fish farm should have available water supply, good soils for pond construction (e.g. rocky places), accessibility to markets and supplies, etc.

Lack of proper planning and design
Lack of proper planning and design is another factor facing fish farmers in Nigeria and other regions. This factor can affect the success rate of your fish farm. Ponds that are not erected properly, may result to leakage and lot of unplanned expenses; which reduces your profit potential.

Poor investment planning
Most consultants and newspaper reports indicate that fish farming requires little investment and output is in large profits but the truth is that it is not so. Many farmers also have the mindset that to become a commercial fish farmer, you have to be big and acquire several big ponds. Thus, they resort to constructing many ponds at a time, which affects their cash flow and tie down their capital. As a result of this, it takes some farmers long to start production while those that commence production may only be able to startup with one pond after all the investment made.

Lack of technical experience
When it comes to fish farming, whether freshwater or salt water; some technicalities are involved. Therefore, getting the technical know-how or experience might prove difficult to the farmers especially those whose farms are located in rural areas.

Now the challenges listed above are the common ones being faced by fish farmers on a daily basis. So by providing with this information, we believe you will be better equipped when you eventually venture into fish farming.

In conclusion, I want to state categorically that catfish farming is an untapped goldmine; especially in Nigeria. You can make a living off it by meeting the right people and devouring the right information.

Credit: 9jaagric 

Picture Credit: 

aquacultureprobiotics 

FAO, WFP confirm Nigeria’s MDG-1 achievement, says Nigeria has reduced the prevalence of undernourishment

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THE recognition that Nigeria has met the first of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has again been confirmed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Food Programme (WFP).

The confirmation was contained in a letter jointly signed by the FAO’s Director-General, Jose Graziano da Silva and WFP Executive Director, Ertharin Cousin, last month, and directed to President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Akinwumi Adesina.

Written in respect of the MDG1, the letter noted that, “We have the honour to refer to the World Food Summit (WFS) held in Rome in November 1996, when representatives of 182 governments pledged ‘… to eradicate hunger in all countries, with an immediate view to reducing the number of undernourished people to half their present level no later than 2015.’”

The letter traced the historical events that followed, saying, “Later, in 2000, 189 nations pledged to free people from multiple deprivations, recognising that every individual has the right to dignity, freedom , equality and a basic standard of living that includes freedom from hunger and violence.

“This pledge transpired into the formulation of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs were then made operational by setting targets and indicators to track progress made at the national and global levels toward reaching the goals by 2015.”

According to the letter, “the First MDG (MDG-1) includes three distinct targets: halving global poverty, achieving full and productive employment and decent work for all, cutting by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger by 2015. In light of FAO’s vision and mandate for a world free from hunger and malnutrition, the organisation has a pivotal role in both contributing and monitoring the WFS goal and the MDG hunger target.”

It stated that the result of this monitoring process suggested that by 2015, 72 countries would have achieved the MDG target by either reducing by half the prevalence of undernourishment or by bringing it below a minimal level set at 5 per cent.

Among these successful countries, 29 have shown truly outstanding progress , having achieved even the more ambitious WFS target of reducing the number of undernourished people to half the value of 1990-92.

Two years ago, Nigeria was given an award in recognition of its achievement of the MDG-1. The letter emphasised this, noting that, “in June 2013, Nigeria was already awarded a diploma for having made very good progress in fighting hunger, and for having reached ahead of time the MDG Hunger target. The result is confirmed by FAO’s most recent estimates: Nigeria has reduced the prevalence of undernourishment from 20.3 per cent in 1990-92 to 7 per cent in 2014-16.”

Year 2015 marks the end of the monitoring cycle of the MDG-1 and the WFS targets.

Source: Tribune

Lagos Empowers Over 6,000 Farmers In Six Months

Lagos State Government has empowered another a total of 6, 678 Youths, Traders Vulnerable and Farmers in various agricultural value chains in the state.

Following the 3,149 people empowered in October 2014 during the maiden edition of Agricultural Value Chains Empowerment Programme, another 3,529 households benefitted at the second edition held at Oko Oba Agege. Addressing the beneficiaries at the flag-off ceremony, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola reaffirmed his administration’s commitment towards reduction in poverty across the state. He said, Government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives had implemented remarkable projects and programmes that contributed to the development of Agriculture and impacted positively in the lives of all stakeholders in the sector. “You will recall that in October last year barely six months from now at this same venue over 3,149 Lagosians benefitted from this scheme. 

Some of you here benefitted then and we have heard testimonies of people among the beneficiaries who had used the opportunity to create more wealth by establishing a business”, he said. Fashola emphasised that the state government has not anytime shown discrimination in the implementation of its policies, adding that the empowerment was an open programme which thousands of people had benefitted from, irrespective of their tribe or religion, and is a continuous exercise. “It really does not matter where you come from, so far you live here in Lagos, this government will serve and protect you” he added. 

He explained that all what people have benefitted in Lagos are financed and paid for from the people’s taxes. Fashola said his administration has continued to strengthen the political will to end hunger while drawing attention to the achievements in food security and agricultural development.


Source: Dailytimes.com.ng

Internship announcement - 2015 Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) Internship within the Polices, Markets and ICTs (PMI), Neitherlands

Starting date: as soon as possible
Duration: 6 months (renewable once)
Location: Wageningen, the Netherlands
Closing date for application: 19 April 2015

1. ABOUT CTA

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States and the European Union (EU). Its mission is to advance food and nutritional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource management in ACP countries.

It facilitates access to information and knowledge; supports evidence-based, multi-stakeholder development of agricultural policies and strategies; promotes inclusive value chain development and use of ICTs and strengthens the capacities of agricultural and rural development institutions and communities.

CTA has several openings for interns within the Policies, Markets and ICTs Programme.

2. BACKGROUND AND MAIN PURPOSE OF THE INTERNSHIPS

In recent years, governments and donors around the world have shown growing commitment to increasing investment in agriculture and improving the well-being of smallholder farmers. Additionally, there is increasing recognition of the importance of agriculture in providing employment for youth and in combating the challenges of climate change. However, agriculture must become a growth sector, a source of prosperity and a global business if the aspirations of the Post-2015 Development Agenda are to be reached. The image of farming as a low-paying, tedious, low-status occupation must be transformed into one that is profitable, modern and respectable.

Based on regions' agricultural-sector priorities and its own comparative advantages, CTA has formulated Regional Business Plans (RBPs) for each ACP region, identifying pathways for the transformation of agriculture and CTA's possible contributions to this process. Each RBP identifies a set of actions that addresses challenges and realizes opportunities specific to that region. Broadly speaking, the proposed actions fall in the following areas:

• Development of inclusive value chains and better organized intra-regional trade in strategic food commodities;
• Policies and practices that promote the development and uptake of climate-resilient agriculture for strategic crops;
• Improvements to all critical phases of the agriculture-nutrition pathway;
• Better developed agribusiness and effective public-private partnerships.
• The internships, based at CTA Headquarters in Wageningen, are primarily to service the evolving needs of the Regional Business Plans. Within this context, each intern will have a substantive area of focus, with the topic dependent on the candidates' particular strengths

3. DUTIES OF THE INTERN FOR THE INTERNSHIP ON DETERMINING BASELINES AND DOCUMENTING PROJECT PROGRESS AND RESULTS

Assist in improving and standardizing existing data collection mechanisms;

Systematically gather baseline data for all ongoing PMI projects and sub-projects;

Assist in the gathering and processing of data for M&E purposes and for assessing projects, and sub-projects outputs, outcomes and impacts;

Coordinate and implement ex-ante and post event perception surveys and assessments;

Collaborate in the implementation of external evaluations of PMI projects and sub-projects;

Interact and collaborate remotely with consultants, host organizations and beneficiaries using cutting edge technology.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Recent graduate, 29 years old maximum.
• National of one of the ACP or EU States signatory to the Cotonou Agreement (79 African, Caribbean and Pacific States – http://www.acp.int/content/secretariat-acp and the European Union Member States).
• Graduate from university or similar institution of higher education in agriculture, finance, management or related field.
• Experience and keen interest in agricultural development.
• Good organization, inter-personal and communication skills.
• Thorough knowledge of one of the Centre's two working languages (French or English) and a satisfactory knowledge of the other.
• Experience with MS Office programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and ability to draft reports including charts and graphs.

5. BENEFITS

• Participation in CTA activities will give you an invaluable experience at international level.
• Internship stipend (€ 800 per month for holder of a Bachelor's degree, € 1,000 for holder of a Master's degree).
• Payment of travel costs when joining and leaving the Centre.
• Medical coverage for emergency cases of sickness and accident during the internship.

6. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are required to send the documents listed below via email to Pascal Deleu, Human Resources Officer. Email: intern4@cta.int

Please indicate in the "Subject" of the email the title Internship PMI 1 'Project progress and results'.

• A letter of motivation (maximum one page explaining why you qualify for this position and what you expect to gain from the internship. The date of earliest availability should be specified as well);
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae, preferably EUROPASS format;
• Copies of the highest diploma/degree as well as training certificates related to the position. Original documents are to be presented once you are selected.
• Two letters of recommendation and/or references.

Deadline for applications: 19 April 2015. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.

Source: http://www.cta.int/

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