Malawi_ TA to enhance farmer capacity in Agribusiness and sustainability of Irrigation schemes and development of feasibility studies for potential irrigation sites

The overall objective of the project is to build capacity of farmer organisations in the EU developed schemes to enhance agribusiness skills and sustainability of the infrastructure whilst ensuring that environmental management plans are implemented.
The purpose of this contract is to enhance capacity building of the farmer organisations in the irrigation schemes to be able to sustain the irrigation interventions as a business including catchment management. The consultancy will also contribute to conducting feasibility studies in priority sites of the Irrigation Master Plan to be used by public, private and civil society organisations for sustainable irrigation development.

The project has three main components:

1. Provision of technical expertise to irrigation communities in cooperative development, agribusiness and water users empowerment,

2. Building of community capacity in catchment management including alternative livelihoods,

3. Conduction of feasibility studies to attract other development partners and private sector development in line with the Irrigation Master and Investment Framework.

Tasks of the project Team: 

• Further capacity building to farmer cooperatives in irrigation schemes to enable them to sustainably manage the schemes and become viable business entities

• Enhance farmer agribusiness and value chain skills development.

• Provide technical expertise to communities/farmers on catchment management including alternative livelihood interventions.

•  Provide technical expertise and coordination of all stakeholders in the implementation of environmental management and monitoring plans.

•  Identify commercially viable large and medium scale irrigation projects through feasibility studies and package them to attract private sector funding or stimulate participation either directly or through PPP arrangements.

•  Assess the business economic environment for the attraction of private investment into irrigation farming.

• Identify barriers to private capital investment into irrigation and those that can be addressed through non-capital measures e.g. if it is market failure, how to secure demand; if it is high risks, how to offer loan guarantees or subsidized insurance.

• Advise on and identify fiscal incentives that can promote investment into large and medium scale irrigation projects to encourage private sector participation.

• Identify international institutions and companies that can support irrigation investment in the country. Organise materials and package opportunities for irrigation investment that can be provided to potential international investors.

• Develop strategies to attract investment into climate smart irrigation schemes. Assess the performance of existing initiatives in this area, and take stock of existing investors and assess their needs to expand such type of investments.

• Establish Terms of Reference for the recruitment of non-key experts.