Agriculture Specialist

Location: Ahilyanagar

Hiring for:
Agri Science Expert (PMU) 1 position

Location:

Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, India (On-site)

A little bit about who we are
Established in 1993, WOTR is a nationally recognized development organization working at the intersection of climate resilience, natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, livelihoods, women's empowerment, and institutional development. WOTR collaborates with communities, government agencies, research institutions, civil society organizations, and private-sector partners to enhance the resilience and prosperity of vulnerable rural communities. Over the past three decades, WOTR has implemented and supported large-scale development programmes across India, contributing significantly to climate adaptation, watershed development, farmer institution strengthening, and sustainable livelihood enhancement.

ProRISE Phase II is a strategic initiative focused on strengthening Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) as climate-resilient, market-oriented agribusiness enterprises that enhance farmer incomes, promote sustainable agriculture, empower women, and strengthen rural economies.
Who are we looking for
WOTR seeks a highly motivated and experienced agriculture professional to provide strategic and technical leadership for strengthening Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) through climate-resilient, market-oriented, and sustainable agricultural systems. The role will support FPCs in improving farm productivity, quality, certification readiness, traceability, value-chain integration, and market competitiveness while promoting regenerative and climate-smart agricultural practices.
Position:
Agri Science Expert will serve as the principal technical resource for agricultural development within WOTR's FPC ecosystem. The position will lead the design, implementation, and scaling of market-oriented, climate-resilient, and certification-compliant production systems that improve farmer incomes and strengthen the competitiveness of farmer-owned enterprises.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Agriculture & Crop Planning
Lead development of demand-driven and market-oriented crop planning strategies for FPCs.
Align production systems with market demand, buyer requirements, processing capacities, and value chain opportunities.
Develop commodity-specific production protocols for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, horticulture crops, spices, and specialty crops.
Guide FPCs in seed production planning, cluster-based cultivation, and aggregation strategies.
Sustainable & Climate-Resilient Agriculture
Design and promote regenerative agriculture, natural resource management, climate-smart farming, and ecosystem-based production systems.
Develop frameworks for soil health improvement, climate-smart agriculture, water-use efficiency, biodiversity enhancement, and resilient cropping systems.
Support adoption of Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
Certification & Quality Assurance
Lead certification initiatives across FPCs, including:
PGS (Participatory Guarantee System)
NPOP Organic Certification
India GAP / Global GAP
Fair Trade and other market-linked certifications
Traceability and quality assurance systems
Coordinate with certification agencies, auditors, inspection bodies, and accreditation organizations.
Develop and implement certification roadmaps, Internal Control Systems (ICS), documentation protocols, and compliance frameworks.
Ensure successful on-ground implementation, farmer mobilization, record maintenance, and audit preparedness.
Facilitate market readiness of certified producer groups through quality assurance, traceability systems, and buyer compliance mechanisms.
Input Systems & Production Technologies
Provide technical guidance on:
Chemical fertilizers and nutrient management
Biofertilizers and microbial consortia
Bio stimulants
Biological crop protection solutions
Chemical pesticides and responsible usage
Seed production and seed quality systems
Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend economically viable solutions for FPC member farmers.
Agritech & Digital Agriculture
Track and integrate emerging Agri Tech innovations into FPC operations.
Assess, pilot, and scale appropriate Agri Tech innovations relevant to smallholder farmers and FPC business models.
Evaluate and promote solutions related to:
Precision agriculture
Remote sensing and satellite-based crop monitoring
Farm advisory platforms
IoT-based agriculture systems
Traceability platforms
Digital farm records
AI-driven crop advisory tools
Weather and risk management solutions
Support FPCs in leveraging technology for productivity enhancement, quality improvement, and market access.
Capacity Building & Knowledge Management
Develop technical manuals, SOPs, crop advisories, and training modules.
Strengthen technical capacities of FPC Boards, CEOs, business teams, extension personnel, and lead farmers.
Conduct Training of Trainers (ToT), field demonstrations, exposure visits, and farmer learning programmes.
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