Job Advertisement: Apiarist and Livestock Production Technician
A startup agribusiness company
based in Chogoria Ward, Tharaka Nithi County is seeking to fill the position of Apiarist and Livestock Production Technician.
Overview
Reporting to the Farms Manager, the Apiarist and Livestock Production Technician will oversee the operational management of a commercial apiary and livestock in the farm which include beekeeping, goats breeding, and poultry.
The technician role is to
ensure that bees and livestock husbandry is established and maintained at high
standards, and the enterprise is productive and consistently growing.
The incumbent must meet the
organisation needs, with the key objective of operational efficiency, resource
optimisation, accountability and performance.
Responsibilities and Duties:
- Carry out animal husbandry tasks to a high standard including
feeding, cleaning, breeding schedule management, application of general
healthcare and treatment instructions as provided by a veterinarian,
routine record keeping and reporting.
- Carry out beekeeping activities to a high standard including
beehive installation, setting up swarm traps, transferring bee colonies
from catcher boxes to permanent hives, monthly beehives inspection, honey
harvesting, routine apiary management record keeping and reporting.
- Responsibly work alone and within a team to ensure that the
apiary and livestock areas of the farm are presented to a high standard.
- Assist the management team in ensuring the smooth running of
apiary and animal projects, including daily operational management of
these departments.
- Follow policies and procedures in relation to animal
husbandry and apiary management.
- Report any health and safety concerns to the Farm Manager.
- Carrying out practical demonstrations relating to sustainable
beekeeping, livestock breeding and management.
- Participating in collaborative research activities.
- Ensure proper fodder production and management, including
recording keeping and future fodder demand forecasting.
- Maintaining accurate data and digital records, and routinely
submit them to management for review and feedback.
- Participating in beekeeping and livestock field
demonstrations, agricultural shows and exhibitions.
- Demonstrating and training on best operational practices,
disease, pests, and parasite control techniques such as deworming, spraying
and dusting, beehives inspection, baiting and treatment.
- Carrying out animal weighing, vaccination, castration,
dehorning, ear-tagging, deworming, disbudding, debeaking and hoof
trimming.
- Keeping records on animal breeding and production, animal weight
and health, and scheduled activities such as spraying, weaning schedule,
vaccination, deworming, hoof trimming, etc.
- Plan and manage goat farm activities including budgeting for
production equipment, supplies fodder, personnel, and supplementary
nutrition products.
- Ensure a safe working environment, humane treatment of
animals, and environmentally responsible production methods.
- Supervise, monitor, train and mentor other employees and
visitors.
- Inspect equipment and farm structures to ensure proper
functioning, and coordinate repairs and maintenance as needed.
- Assembling, labelling and installation of beehives to desired
specifications and apiary location.
- Swarm bating and inducting trapped swarms into prepared
hives.
- Conduct monthly hive health inspection, adding/removing
super, record keeping and reporting.
- Conduct planned honey and bee products harvesting,
extraction, filtering, storage, record keeping and reporting.
- Take steps to ensure only healthy and productive bee colonies
are kept in our apiary by adopting best practices such as scraping out
parasites and removing vermin, destroying diseased colonies.
- Ensure growth and economic viability of the beekeeping
business by researching and experimenting on ingenious activities such as
cultivating queen bees and splitting bee colonies for sale to other
apiarists and our own apiary expansion.
Qualification Requirements
- Certificate or Diploma in animal production or animal health
from Animal Health and Industry
Training Institute (AHITI) or equivalent tertiary training institution. - At least 3 years of practical experience in commercial animal
breeding and management, (experience in goats / small ruminants production
will be an added advantage).
- Registration with the Kenya Veterinary Board (added
advantage).
- Proficient in general computer skills, (Word, Excel,
PowerPoint and Email), certificate in these and other computer applications
from a recognised institution will be an added advantage.
- Must be experienced in both commercial animal rearing and
fodder management and can continually inform and influence the improvement
of quality and yields productivity.
- The candidate should have broad experience in animal housing
structures, fencing, efficient working infrastructure and safe animal
husbandry equipment.
- The candidate should have relevant experience in farm
chemicals handling and storage, animal health management and administration
of routine procedures such as assisted births, natural breeding
synchronization, spraying, drenching, castration etc.
- The candidate should be competent in record keeping, routine
documentation and report presentation including data input and analysis reports.
- Certification in beekeeping and/or experience in apiary
management will be an added advantage.
- Broad knowledge of animal and plant biology, and keenness on
biodiversity and healthy ecology.
- Ability to calmly manage stressful situations whilst, remaining
focused and productive.
- Basic sheds and equipment maintenance skills.
- Ability to lift heavy objects.
- Flexibility to work odd hours and weekends, with arranged
alternative breaks, overtime, and support staff as needed.
- Ability to work productively and delivery results, with
minimal or no supervision.
- Ability to supervise and mentor inexperienced staff to work
productively and deliver set outcomes.
- Ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions; PPE
(clothing and equipment) will be provided.
- Academic qualification and/or experience in Farm Management
are an added advantage.
- Experience in motorcycle riding and/car driving are an
added advantage.
Personal attributes and values
- Team leadership,
- teamwork,
- influencing abilities,
- self-motivated,
- ability to work under pressure,
- effective communication to all levels,
- honesty,
- integrity & transparency,
- professionalism and accountability,
- excellent planning,
- organizational, and
- time management skills.
Qualified individuals should
submit a cover letter and a Curriculum Vitae as one pdf document, via email
with the subject ‘Apiarist and Livestock Production Technician’ to
info@idealconceptfarms.co.ke to reach us before or on 30th June 2023.