Tunnel Farming Consultant

Background

Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP) intends to engage a qualified Agriculture Specialist as an individual consultant to provide technical expertise and serve as a resource person for building the capacity of 200 farmers in off-season vegetable production and nursery enterprise development. The season-long, practical, and hands-on training will enable farmers to understand and apply climate-resilient production technologies, improved nursery management practices, and efficient crop production techniques. The training will focus on improving productivity and product quality, enabling early harvesting, reducing climate-related production risks, and positioning farmers to capture higher market prices during periods of peak demand. Through field-based demonstrations and hands-on learning, farmers will be supported to apply the promoted technologies directly to their farms and develop viable, climate-resilient vegetable and nursery enterprises.

Objective of the Consultancy

• To enhance the capacity of 200 farmers of district Thatta in improve crop husbandry practices for off-season vegetable production under walk-in-tunnels and vegetables nursery enterprises.

• Develop detailed training material and session’s hand-outs for participants on HVOSV production supported by pictures and illustrations.

 Submission Requirements

1. CVs of the Technical Person undertaking the assignment

2. Samples of at least 2 relevant Agricultural Training reports

3. Unit Rates for each deliverable as per specified format given below

The individual shall use the following format to submit the financial proposal: The segregation will help to identify specified cost for District Thatta – Sindh Province.  

Please note that applicable government taxes will be deducted in accordance with prevailing country laws and Islamic Relief Pakistan's policies.

The financial proposal will be invited from shortlisted candidates only. The shortlisting will be done based on CVs submission

The individual consultant will be responsible for executing the following tasks:

• After signing the contract, the training resource person will design training methodology and training content/module/course, material, hand-outs and will share with Islamic Relief technical team for review.

  • The training resource person will conduct five training sessions for each farmer group, with each group comprising 20-25 farmers. A total of 8 groups (200 farmers) will be trained in nursery establishment and off-season vegetable cultivation under walk-in tunnels. The training will follow a season-long, practical, and hands-on approach, covering key stages of nursery establishment, crop management, climate-resilient production practices, harvesting, post-harvest handling and marketing

  • Each training session will last approximately 3–4 hours and will be delivered through a practical, field-based learning approach. The technical resource person will demonstrate key activities and techniques directly in the field, with farmers’ fields serving as the classroom. This hands-on approach will enable participants to observe, practice, and apply the recommended technologies and production practices under real farm conditions.

  • The training resource person will conduct five sessions with each farmer group, creating a continuous learning process throughout the production cycle. Each session will provide opportunities for farmers to interact with the resource person and exchange experiences with fellow farmers, discuss existing farming practices and production challenges, and collectively identify practical solutions and climate-resilient measures to address them.

  • The resource person will also provide technical guidance on the proper operation, routine maintenance, and safe use of walk-in tunnels and associated tools and equipment to ensure their effective utilization, prolong their service life, and promote the long-term sustainability of the supported infrastructure and production activities.

• Conduct economic analysis and recommendations on production costs, profitability, market opportunities, and value-chain considerations.

Training Execution Framework

The farmer training program will be executed according to the structured breakdown below:

Key Deliverables for Individual Consultant

1. Technical Assessment: Comprehensive assessment report on local agro-climatic conditions and tunnel feasibility in proposed intervention areas.

2. Training Guidelines & Manuals: Farmer-friendly modules in Urdu and/or Sindhi as appropriate.

3. Capacity Building Training Execution: Successful conduct of 5 training rounds covering 200 farmers (delivered in interactive batches of 20–25).

4. Field Follow-up & Support: Regular field monitoring, technical handholding, and progress updates for all trained farmers.

5. Consultancy Reports: Detailed follow up visit reports, training evaluation reports (with attendance lists), and final assignment completion report depicting all deliverables narrated above.

6. Replication Plan: Strategic recommendations for scaling up tunnel farming interventions.

Required Qualification & Experience

• Minimum MSc/Master’s Degree in Agriculture, preferably Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Production, or a relevant field.

• 3–5 years of relevant professional experience in tunnel farming, protected agriculture, horticulture, or vegetable production.

• Proven practical experience in tunnel establishment and off-season vegetable production.

• Experience in farmer training, technical material development, and field-level capacity building.

• Experience with national/international NGOs, INGOs, UN agencies, or development organizations will be preferred.

• Experience in Climate-Smart Agriculture, FSL/livelihoods, value chains, and market-oriented agriculture will be an added advantage.

• Strong report writing, communication, and facilitation skills.

Duration

The consultancy will be for 10 working days/months within the span of 4 months, as per project requirements and the agreed scope of work. The number of days will be adjusted as per field operations. 

Reporting & Coordination

The consultant will report to the designated Project Coordinator/ Agriculture/FSL Technical Lead, Islamic Relief Pakistan, and will coordinate closely with project, agriculture/FSL, MEAL, and field teams.

Expected Outcome

The individual consultancy will contribute to the successful adoption of technically sound, climate-resilient, water-efficient, and economically viable tunnel farming practices, while strengthening the capacity of IRP staff and farmers and providing quality technical documentation for future scale-up.

Payment Procedures (As per Islamic Relief Policy and Procedure)

1. Monthly payment will be made when the training resource person submits training details, presentations, report, attendance sheet, HD picture and training report and related documents each month.

2. Payments will be made after the verification of training accomplishment by the Islamic Relief technical team in Thatta.