Principal Livestock Development Officer at Agriculture, Food Security & Nutrition

Job Summary

Under the general supervision of the Chief Animal Production Officer the incumbent will be responsible for sectional policy implementation, preparation of the sectional budget, information dissemination, coordination of fisheries production programmes, genetic improvement and conservation, fisheries nutrition.

• Genetic Improvement and Conservation
  • Conducts research on fishery genetics resources with a view to upgrade existing breeds for increased productivity.
  • Conducts surveys on indigenous fish to determine the feasibility of the conservation of the indigenous genetic pool.
  • Analyzes the findings of the research and/or surveys to identify the most suitable breeds for the environment and the developmental needs of the country.
  • Carries out experiments to test whether these findings would be operational and favorable.
  • Recommends the development of the breed for increased productivity so as to promote poverty reduction and income generation.
• Fishery Nutrition
  • Initiates and conducts research studies on the best (in terms of quality, sustainability, and productivity) and cheapest poultry feeds for the local fish industry using locally produced and available inputs.
  • Liaises with research institutions to establish and procure the most suitable and highly productive feeds for newly produced fish breeds.
  • Liaises with research institutions in the field of fish nutrition within and outside the country to procure the latest information on fish feeds and their benefits for local farmers.
  • Puts on trial internationally produced and locally untested fish feeds in the local conditions in order to determine their suitability for the local fish and recommends accordingly.
  • Conducts surveys on the proper utilization of fish feeds by local farmers in order to establish their level of understanding on the proper use of those feeds and their impact on the fish industry in the long run.
• Policy Implementation
  • Develops training manuals and guidelines for District Animal Production Officers for fish procurement and management to promote growth and sustainability of the fish industry.
  • Conducts training workshops for District Animal Production Officers to enable them to train the fish farmers accordingly on general and proper management of fish industry to enhance productivity.
  • Establishes control measures to ensure that the fish industry operates within the set policies, systems procedure standards and rules and regulations to meet both economical and environmental needs of the country.
  • Monitors the overall performance of fish production rules and regulations as well as the systems principles and procedures and accordingly recommends the required changes and improvements to facilitate their effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness to the local fish industry.
• Coordination of Fishery Activities
  • Liaises with the Animal Health Division within the department of Livestock Services to ensure that the fish industry in Lesotho is free from any infectious diseases.
  • Visits suppliers to ensure that the conditions under which they produce are consistent with the requirement of the section.
  • Liaises with District Animal Production Officers to ensure an integrated and common understanding in the implementation of fish programmes and activities in the districts.
  • Liaises with institutions outside the department to ensure integration of programmes and activities that can be jointly undertaken.
  • Participates in the farmers training workshops conducted by different stakeholders to ensure acquisition of common understanding and interpretation in order to avoid or prohibit violation of fishery policy.
  • Liaises with fishery organizations both locally and internationally to share information on fishery activities in order to realign them with the changing environmental and developmental needs.
• Budget Preparation
  • Costs sectional activities to establish the amount of money that will be needed for execution of fish production activities.
  • Prepares the overall sectional budget to ensure that fish production programmes will be funded and ultimately smoothly implemented.

• Education and training requirements: Master of Science (MSc) in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Aquatic Sciences, Animal Science, or a closely related field from a recognized institution plus a minimum of three (03) years working experience in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Aquatic Sciences. Candidates holding MSc in Animal Science with a research focus in Fisheries and Aquaculture will have an added advantage. OR Bachelor of Science in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Aquatic Sciences, Animal Science, with a minimum of Five (05) years working experience in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Aquatic resource management or related field.
• Other necessary knowledge and skills: Computer literacy;
  Good interpersonal and communication skills;
  Negotiation skills;
  Persuasive skills;
  Technical report writing skills.
• Responsibility (Factored categories)
  • For work of others:
    The job requires the incumbent to provide general…