4 Agronomist Officers job at Ujamaa seed company Limited

Company: Ujamaa Seed Company Limited
Reports To: Head of Production & Partnerships

Core Business Context
Ujamaa Seed Company specializes in certified seed production, seed sales, and public-private partnerships (PPPs) with government agricultural agencies.

Job Summary
Execute technical agronomy across the seed value chain—from foundation seed multiplication to post-harvest seed handling—while supporting sales and government extension collaborations.

Key Responsibilities

Seed Production & Quality Assurance

• Supervise field inspections, rogueing, isolation distances, and roughing to maintain genetic purity and certified seed standards.
• Manage seed conditioning, seed treatment (dressing), coating, and Vigor testing.
• Enforce germination, moisture content, and analytical purity thresholds per national seed certification rules.

Sales & Technical Backstopping

• Provide pre-sowing technical guidance and post-emergence troubleshooting to seed growers and distributors.
• Organize demonstration plots (demo plots), field days, and varietal showcase trials to drive seed adoption.

Government Partnerships

• Liaise with public extension workers to implement government seed subsidy programs, e-voucher schemes, and input distribution.
• Co-design adaptability trials and seed multiplication contracts with state agencies.
• Submit certification reports, field history data, and seed stock reconciliation to government partners.

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Diploma Or Bachelors in Agronomy, Seed Science, Crop Protection, or Plant Breeding.
• Experience:  Seed production, seed quality control, or agricultural extension within a seed company or government project.

Technical Competencies (Seed Business Terms)

• Seed certification classes: Breeder → Foundation → Registered → Certified
• Field standards: Off-types, isolation, shedding, pollen contamination
• Seed health: Seed-borne diseases, inert matter, noxious weeds
• Quality tests: Germination test (%), 1000-seed weight, accelerated aging, tetrazolium (TZ) test
• Post-harvest: Shelling, grading, drying curve, fungicide & insecticide dressing
• Partnership tools: MoUs with NARS, contract grower agreements, delivery notes for government warehouses

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• ≥90% germination and ≥98% purity across all certified lots
• ≤5% field rejection rate due to isolation or rogueing failures
• 100% timely submission of government seed distribution reports
• Minimum 5 joint demo plots per season with public extension agents

Travel & Conditions

• Frequent field travel to out-grower schemes, quarantine sites, and government seed stores.

• Supervise field inspections, rogueing, isolation distances, and roughing to maintain genetic purity and certified seed standards.
• Manage seed conditioning, seed treatment (dressing), coating, and Vigor testing.
• Enforce germination, moisture content, and analytical purity thresholds per national seed certification rules.
• Provide pre-sowing technical guidance and post-emergence troubleshooting to seed growers and distributors.
• Organize demonstration plots (demo plots), field days, and varietal showcase trials to drive seed adoption.
• Liaise with public extension workers to implement government seed subsidy programs, e-voucher schemes, and input distribution.
• Co-design adaptability trials and seed multiplication contracts with state agencies.
• Submit certification reports, field history data, and seed stock reconciliation to government partners.

• Seed certification classes: Breeder → Foundation → Registered → Certified
• Field standards: Off-types, isolation, shedding, pollen contamination
• Seed health: Seed-borne diseases, inert matter, noxious weeds
• Quality tests: Germination test (%), 1000-seed weight, accelerated aging, tetrazolium (TZ) test
• Post-harvest: Shelling, grading, drying curve, fungicide & insecticide dressing
• Partnership tools: MoUs with NARS, contract grower agreements, delivery notes for government warehouses

• Diploma Or Bachelors in Agronomy, Seed Science, Crop Protection, or Plant Breeding.
• Seed production, seed quality control, or agricultural extension within a seed company or government project.