Advisor, Access to Finance

Under the overall guidance of the Project Manager the “Advisor, Access to Finance” is responsible for the developing and implementing the inclusive finance component of the project. S/he will lead in the design and execution of interventions to link actors in the sorghum value chain to access finance for production. These actors will include but not limited to farmers, aggregators, input dealers, and mechanized service providers. S/he will also be responsible for facilitating access to additional financial services such as payment systems, savings, credit, risk mitigation measures.

The Access to finance Advisor will also be engaging private sector players in the sorghum value chain and financial institutions to develop agri-finance products that support investments in the sorghum value chain to ultimately result in increasing the production of sorghum in a sustainable manner. The successful candidate will report to the Project Manager.

Duties & Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the Advisor will include the following:

• Provide overall support to establishing of VSLAs and strengthen farmer position towards reliable and fair access to agricultural inputs, financing, and inclusive business practices.
• Assist in farmer segmentation and building credit worthy farmers and other actors in the value chain on one hand, while working with relevant financial institutions to develop the right agri-finance product that meets the needs of actors in the sorghum value chain.
• Oversee the effective implementation of the project plan to increase sorghum production among smallholders and commercial farmers in the chosen districts of the project.
• Mobilization of actors to produce sorghum.
• Lead training activities on access to finance for actors.
• Profiling/ assessments of actors’ financial needs and facilitate the necessary linkages for financial services.
• Profile financial institutions for the needed financial linkages with actors.
• Lead capacity building (technical, organizational) on business growth and development to empowerment women and youth (men and women) in the sorghum value chain.
• Lead business development prospects of aggregators to strengthen their capacity in farmer engagement for the supply of sorghum.
• Assist in educating farmers on land preparation and planting activities, good agricultural practices after planting, and support preharvest meetings, farmer sensitization of pricing agreements, grain quality standards and postharvest lost prevention measures.
• Strengthen farmer loyalty towards sorghum grain sourcing.
• Lead, manage and support the production of sorghum from at least four (4) districts.