Manager – Contract Farming and IPM/Trapping Project, Date Palm Trees
Abu Dhabi Farmers’ Service Centre
Total years of experience :32 years, 10 Months
ADFSC acts as the education and extension resource for 12000 farmers promoting improved production standards and procedures to enhance quality of food produced on farms
Responsibilitiesu**
Contract Farms Management
• Coordinate development of complete plans for each nominated client farm including production plans based on market information, physical feasibility and economic viability.
• Support implementation of production plans by providing management, supervision, instruction and advice to farm workers.
• Identify required farm inputs to enable efficient production and assist farm management in on time, cost effective procurement of inputs.
• Advice the management of client farm on plant and equipment required for carrying out farm activities.
• Develop monitor implementation and compliance with procedures required for effective and efficient farm operations.
• Visit farms regularly to monitor activities and issue monthly summary reports to management.
• Issue comprehensive end-of-season report on each farm to the contracted farmer and ADFSC management.
• Provide feedback to the management on the need for and opportunities to improve skills and knowledge of contract farm personnel, ADFSC extension staff and farm workers.
• Support the selection and implementation of innovative agricultural practices to increase production and productivity, reduce costs and improve water use efficiency.
• Provide inputs for developing extension programs by leveraging acquired experience.
• Coordinate with regional offices ensuring optimum utilization of FSC staff and equipment for managing farm activities.
• Ensure compliance with all Human Resources policies and procedures related to leave processing, recruitment, disciplinary proceedings, termination, training, performance appraisal.
• Monitor expenditure on heads like fuel and ensure budgetary compliance.
• Encourage teamwork and foster a positive work environment.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)/Trapping Project
• Coordinate IPM/Trapping project in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dalma Island and Western Region covering aspects of technical, support goods, management and transport.
• Liaise with teams for day to day implementation of the trapping program and support field activities ensuring adherence to predefined standards.
• Coordinate with the Divisional Director - Technical Services and Project Management Unit on all matters related to budgets and financial expenses.
• Monitor and coordinate activities ensuring achievement of day to day target as per work plans.
• Collate bi-weekly reports from Operations Manager and issue monthly reports.
• Prepare regional work programs for installation and inspection of pest traps in coordination with Operation Manager.
• Plan, organize, conduct and supervise various training and skill upgrade programs for supervisors, field staff and inspectors.
• Prepare required training inputs and extension messages for farm owners/investors, manager and workers in coordination with agricultural extension engineers.
• Encourage teams, farmers and workers in adopting mass trapping techniques to control pests of date palm trees.
• Develop training material with technical information and extension materials.
TAE represents and markets agricultural inputs like seeds and fertilizers from international companies
Highlightsu**
• Conducted trials of seeds from companies like Enza-Zaden, Sakata and Known-You Seed and pesticides companies like Bayer and submitted reports to the head office in Al Ain.
Responsibilitiesu**
• Prepared sales forecasts and developed marketing and sales plan for the region.
• Promoted company products and services by organizing events like exhibitions, lectures and technical seminars.
• Captured customer requirements, provided excellent customer care, building and sustaining productive customer relations.
• Coordinated trials including visiting sites, following up, evaluating and analyzing data and reporting findings.
• Identified market gaps and new product opportunities by tracking markets and analyzing competitor offerings.
• Launched new products and provided technical support to customers for existing and new products.
• Investigated and solved various technical problems faced by clients.
AKAR provides outdoor and commercial landscaping services. In collaboration with its franchisor, Orkin Inc USA it provides integrated pest management (IPM) services especially to date palm tree farmers
Key Projects to Credit u**
• Pest Control Project for controlling all pests attacking date palms in Al Ain UAE
Highlightsu**
• Promoted deployment of integrated pest management (IPM) practices for controlling major pests like red date palm weevil (RDPW) and stem borer. Established a system for increasing the number of traps installed in various locations, numbering traps, collecting, accounting for and recording insects.
• Conducted trials and developed optimum model for stem borer traps.
• Coordinated experiments for identifying organic and low-toxic pesticides for reducing pollution and protecting the environment of the oasis.
Responsibilitiesu**
• Controlled all employees on the project and coordinated with engineers and supervisors in planning and executing day to day project activities.
• Checked and ensured good working condition of all equipment including spraying cars.
• Selected suitable pesticides for different pests in coordination with consultants and the Municipality, prepared list of pesticides with required quantities and organized daily treatment of infected trees.
• Participated as a member of the tender committee for procurement of pesticides for the project.
• Organized knowledge sharing sessions and delivered presentations on topics like safety in materials handling and pests of the date palm tree.
• Monitored and ensured maintenance of IPM traps including adding water or pheromones as required.
• Participated in coordination meetings with company teams, consultants and the Municipality for developing work plans.
• Trained staff - engineers, supervisors and labourers - on safety in spraying and customer interactions.
AMC, headquartered in Lebanon, provides a broad range of agricultural inputs - crop protection, seeds, fertilizers, irrigation equipment, small tools and public health chemicals
Conferences and Seminarsu**
• Participated in field days and international seminars organized by agribusiness companies in UAE, Jordan and Holland.
• Annual Liwa Date Festival and International Conference on Date Palms, Abu Dhabi UAE
• First Symposium on Ornamental Horticulture in the Arabian Gulf Region, UAE, 2001
• International Agricultural Exhibitions in Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Holland
• 1st and 2nd Plant Nutrition Business Seminar for the Middle East, Abu Dhabi, 2004 and 2005
Responsibilitiesu**
Branch Manager, 1999 to Jul 2007
• Managed the marketing of all agricultural inputs including pesticides, seeds, fertilizers and irrigation tools and equipment in Al Ain and Ras al Khaimah branches.
• Organized numerous trials of seeds of major companies - Petoseed, Asgrow, Hollar, Clause, Bruinsma, Yates, DP Elite, Daehnfeldt and Nunhems and pesticides - Syngenta, DuPont, Nippon Soda and Sumitomo.
• Prepared reports of trials and submitted them to the seeds/pesticides unit of the company head office in Al Ain.
• Monitored trials of seeds conducted at Main Experimental Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, UAE for selection of varieties for tenders of the Ministry and submitted reports to the seeds unit of the head office.
• Promoted all approved varieties of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides driving sales through dealers and growers.
• Identified opportunities and formulated plans for penetrating new markets to increase reach and achieve business growth targets.
• Followed up market studies and initiated action plans to promote sales of agricultural inputs meeting marketing requirements.
• Promoted promising seed varieties, new pesticides and fertilizer products by organizing annual seminars for the biggest farmers, dealers and agronomists.
• Maintained good working relationships with decision makers, sales and technical personnel of major seed companies like Seminis, Sakata, Rijk-Zwann, Enza-Zaden, Syngenta Seeds, Bayer CropScience, SQM and Kemira and major companies in Jordan, UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Experimental Farm Management
• Managed the experimental farm in Ras al Khaimah for trials of seeds, pesticides and fertilizers for a variety of vegetables and field crops like maize and alfalfa.
• Received all seeds, pesticides and fertilizers from different companies, maintained documentation, organized trials in various locations, followed up and recorded results and prepared comprehensive reports.
Agronomist, Jan 1997 to 1999
• Worked as a member of the seeds, pesticides and fertilizers research unit of the company. Participated in selection of right varieties through trials, evaluation and screening.
• Conducted market surveys to study competitor offerings, analyze customer requirements and prepare sales forecasts.
• Organized events like technical seminars and exhibitions to promote the company’s product range.
Taha and Qashou Company is an agricultural trade establishment providing a wide range of inputs to farmers in Jordan and neighboring countries
Highlightsu**
• Established market leadership position for Hana and Lona varieties of cucumbers from Nickerson-Zwann
Responsibilitiesu**
• Conducted trials in growers’ farms to validate seeds and pesticides in various environments. Prepared & submitted reports of trials to the manager.
• Promoted sales of seeds and other agricultural inputs among dealers and growers in the region.
• Followed up with main dealers and growers to achieve sales targets of seeds.
The farm produces high quality vegetables from open fields and plastic houses for local and export sales
Responsibilitiesu**
• Managed all farming activities from planting of high quality varieties of seeds from well known seed companies, nutrition and pest control and harvesting.
• Grew a wide range of vegetables in open fields and plastic houses to meet the demands of Jordanian and export markets.
Bachelor of Agriculture Professional Development Trainings • Information Technology – Electronic Communication, Spreadsheets, Word Processing, Presentations, Using the Computer and File Management, Cambridge Educational Institute UAE • Syngenta Product Selling Skills • Communication Skills • Planning and Organizing Skills • Agribusiness • Project Management • Product Development • Team Management • Marketing and Sales Membership • Agricultural Engineers Association, Jordan