Buyer/Agriculture Extension Officer at Morning Star Foods

BUYER/AGRICULTURE EXTENSION OFFICER

Morning Star Foods is an emerging food processing and packaging company in Lilongwe, engaged in processing, packaging and marketing locally produced foods, conserving their nutritive values and harnessing Malawi’s agriculture value-addition sector. A career opportunity has arisen for the position of Buyer/Agriculture Extension Officer.

Job purpose

The successful candidate will serve as a liaison between agricultural producers and the food processing factory, fostering trust, long-term partnerships and mutual benefits.

Key responsibilities

1. Source raw materials from farmers and cooperatives, and support agricultural practices to ensure quality and reliability; maintain documentation for traceability.

2. Build and maintain strong relationships with farmers/cooperatives; resolve issues related to delivery delays, quality, or contract disputes; facilitate logistics between farms and processing factory.

3. Develop and manage contract farming or out-grower schemes.

4. Support farmers toward meeting certifications like Global good agricultural practices (GAP), Organic, or Fairtrade, in line with company goals.

5. Support research and development on new products; coordinate with finance for budgeting, payment processing, and reporting.

6. Identify risks in the supply chain, propose mitigating measures to company management.

7. Train farmers on good agricultural practices (GAP), and crop varieties that meet factory requirements; promote climate-smart agriculture and responsible use of inputs.

8. Promote agri-tech solutions; pilot new crop varieties or techniques that could benefit the value chain.

Qualifications, Experience, Attributes, Skills and Knowledge

• A diploma or degree in Agriculture, Agricultural Extension, Agronomy, or a related field.
• At least 5 years hands-on experience working with farmers, cooperatives, or agricultural organizations.
• Strong understanding of crop production, soil science, pest management, irrigation, and post-harvest handling.
• Ability to convey technical information clearly to farmers and internal stakeholders.
• Competency with mobile apps, GPS, data collection tools, and MS Office for monitoring and reporting.
• Culturally sensitive and approachable; able to build trust and rapport with diverse farming communities.
• Self-starter and able to work with minimal supervision.
• High level of honesty and integrity.
• Possession of Class A motorcycle license is an added advantage.

Remuneration

• Attractive package, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Method Of Application

Qualified and interested candidates should send application letter, CV, and names and contacts of three traceable referees to:

Managing Director
Morning Star Foods
P O Box 31615
Lilongwe 3.
E-mail: [email protected]

Closing date 15 June 2025