The job is for a person who will manage all activities in an avocado orchard, including seedling production and maintenance of the nursery. The position requires a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture or a related field, and 2-4 years of management experience in a horticultural field. The candidate should be computer literate, possess good verbal and written communication skills, have basic mechanical and general machinery operation experience, and the ability to work efficiently, methodically, and follow written instructions.
The person in this position will oversee and coordinate land and medium preparation, potting, planting, Scion grafting activities, and observe and monitor plant health for signs of stress, disease or pest incursion. The responsibilities include fertilization and pest control activities, inventory and logistics management, utilization, management, and maintenance of the irrigation system, pest control equipment, field working tools, etc. The candidate should ensure safe working conditions, quality control, and trial new techniques and methodologies like propping, pruning, weeding, mulching, etc. Additionally, the candidate should establish a model avocado orchard within the farm with high-level management, ensure management of seedling health in the nursery, oversee and ensure management of inventories and logistics up to and including utilization, management, and maintenance of the orchard irrigation system.
The person in this position will be responsible for sourcing avocado fruits from the market for planting seed for grafting, sourcing of avocado scions for grafting, and planning and forecasting avocado seedling grafting and delivery as per the seasonal demands. The candidate will come up with innovative ideas, techniques, and methodologies to promote optimal quality output.
The candidate will manage all labour in the section effectively and efficiently, ensuring all staff achieves the recommended daily tasks, and maintain staff discipline and welfare in accordance with the company policy. The candidate should train staff in best practices for planting, grafting, crop maintenance and hygiene, pest and disease management, and all other practices from time to time. Additionally, the candidate should plan and forecast avocado yields, gapping plants required, operations, etc. and communicate and coordinate harvesting schedules as per avocado packhouse volume requirements, ensuring safe working conditions.
The candidate should ensure the orchard operations adhere to standards of all agricultural audits guidelines and handle and address any deviation on standards. Additionally, the candidate should ensure that various team leaders, scouts, and supervisors keep accurate records of all operations carried in the orchard, maintain irrigation/fertigation records, spray schedule, etc.
The candidate should manage day-to-day operations of the orchard such as nursery management, transplanting, irrigation, fertilization, pest management, and harvesting. The candidate will lead the agronomy team to ensure that pest control is well managed, and all pests and diseases are kept below threshold at all times, direct the farm's crop nutrition in terms of implementation of fertilizer plans, composting/manure application, and foliar feeding, manage irrigation and scheduling of irrigation based on crop requirements and stages of production, and reduction of water wastage from leaks and over-irrigation.
The candidate should have deeper agricultural knowledge of the avocado crop husbandry and seasons in East Africa, in-depth understanding of the avocado husbandry practice, and responsible for planning and the sourcing of inputs through internal requisitions on time. Additionally, the candidate should manage any other tasks deemed necessary or recommended by the General Manager.
The candidate should maintain irrigation/fertigation records, spray schedule, and records of sowing, grafting, and deliveries of seedlings daily, ensure weekly time sheets are prepared and signed off prior to required deadlines weekly, and TBC monthly, quarterly, and yearly.
The key competencies required for the position include knowledge of avocado orchard operations, good time management skills, understanding and commitment to health and safety best practice, attention
