Government of Montserrat Agricultural Officer

Agricultural Officer

Job Summary

Department: Ministry of Agriculture

Salary: $58896- $58896

Grade: R16 - R16

Allowances: Housing EC$12,000 (taxable) Market Premium EC$20, 000 (taxable) Travel EC$9,600

Deadline Date: Wednesday August 15, 2012

Days Left: 16

About the Job

AGRICULTURAL OFFICER

The Government of Montserrat is seeking applications for Technical Assistance from suitably qualified persons for the post of Agricultural Officer, within the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment.

Responsibilities will include

• Provide technical advice to farmers covering agronomy, business planning and marketing etc.•Submit reports on a regular and punctual basis to reflect the activities of the division.•Monitor activities of farmers and backyard gardeners, keeping updated with trends within the farming sector.•Collect information patterns of agricultural production. •Liaise with database officer on storage, dissemination and utilization of information.•Disseminate information relating to choice of crops and markets to farmers and to promote good agricultural practices.•Design and implement farm demonstrations.•Research and identify appropriate technology and facilitate their transfer to end users.•Assess the training needs of farmer’s, designing and co-ordinating and delivery of programmes, with appropriate involvement.•Facilitate land distribution to farmers, and act as intermediary between land owners and farmers.•Identify, develop and implement projects utilizing first hand knowledge of farmers, (constraints and opportunities) in conjunction with Agricultural Development Officers.•Maintain ownership of projects initiated and contribute as appropriate, e.g. Greenhouses.•Provide plant quarantine control at the Airport and Sea port, by developing systems to have effective surveillance, detection and prevention of entry of pant pests and diseases.•Assemble and co-ordinate task forces to tackle specific issues/problems relating to farmers, using resources from within and outside the department.•Perform crop damage assessments after each major disaster such as ash fall or hurricane

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates should posses:

•At least a Bachelors of Science Degree in Agriculture, Crop Science and Technology or related field.•Knowledge of:-- Agronomic practices
- Food Presentation & Preservation
- Marketing
- Green House Management
- Computer literacy
•At least two (2) years working in an Agriculture Environment with exposure to crop production.•A sound background in Crop Cultivation, Soil Conservation, Irrigation and communication skills.•New technology intervention and upgrade, Technical report writing.•Project development and implementation, Research and analysis, Pest Risk Analysis· Excellent oral writing or communication skills
· Should be able to effectively host/conduct a meeting or seminar
•Ability to work with minimum supervision.•Ability to manage the day to day operations of the division.

Terms of Appointment

Appointment will be made on a contractual basis for a period of two (2) years.

Remuneration Package

The total remuneration package for this Technical Assistance Post is EC$100,496 annually, broken down as follows: -

· Basic Salary - EC$58,896 (Taxable)

Allowances

· Housing : EC$12,000 (taxable)
· Market Premium : EC$20, 000 (taxable)
· Travel : EC$9,600

HOW TO APPLY

To apply send:

· Your completed Application Form (this can be obtained from our website www.jobs.gov.ms)

To:

· jobs@gov.ms
OR
· By mail to the Human Resources Management Unit, Office of the Deputy Governor,
P O Box 292, Brades, Montserrat by August 15, 2012.

Only applicants shortlisted will be contacted.