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Consultant Study Improvements in Production of Animal Fibres

Request For Expressions of Interest

General Information
Country:   Afghanistan
City/Locality:   Kabul
Notice/Contract Number:   MOA/HLP/AF
Publication Date:   Sep 15, 2007
Deadline:   Sep 27, 2007
Funding Agency:   World Bank
Buyer:   AF: Hort. & Livestock Project
Eligibility of Bidders:   Qualifications Required:
• Post graduate degree in animal production and/or animal genetics;
 At least 5 years experience in working with animal fibre production and marketing;
 Extensive work experience from developing countries and cross-culture situations, preferably from Central Asia countries;
 Extensive experience in working with stakeholder associations and institutions;
 Demonstrable experience in project planning and implementation;
 Proven oral and written communication skills, fluency in English and comprehensive computer skills.
Original Language:   English

Contact Information
Address:   Sanjeev Mathur
Procurement Advisor
Afghanistan Reconstruction and Development Services (PU)
Ministry of Economy Building
5th and 6th Floor
Kabul, Kabul
Afghanistan
Telephone:   0093 797690164
Email:   Click here

Assignments

 

Original Text

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST
Consultant Study Improvements in Production of Animal Fibres

Afghanistan
Horticulture and Livestock Project
Consultant Study Improvements in Production of Animal Fibres
Grant No. H267AF
Project ID No. P100935
EOI # MOA/HLP/AF

Last Date for Submission of Applications by 16 hrs local time 27th September 2007.
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Title: Consultant for Study on Improvement in Production of Animal Fibres
Duty Location: Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) Kabul, and Herat Should be willing to travel to Provinces when Required.
Reports To: HLP Director and HLP Livestock Coordinator
Period of Services Two (2) Months
No. of Positions One
Expected Salary $ 15,000 per month (all-inclusive. Tax to be borne by the consultant)
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Expressions of interest

Following a request from the Minister for Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) the World Bank, in partnership with bilateral donors (DfID, CIDA and Japan) agreed to finance the Emergency Horticulture and Livestock Project (HLP). The HLP is the first phase of a long term program in the agricultural sector that will roll out over the coming decade to support the MAIL’s Master Plan and will contribute to achieve the key agriculture sector benchmarks of Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy (I-ANDS) of the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRA).
The focus of HLP is to stimulate and promote the marketable output of the two most important sub-sectors: horticulture and livestock. Project financing will provide for three components to: (i) increase productivity and marketable output of perennial horticulture; (ii) increase productivity and improve output of livestock; and (iii) strengthen the associated departments of the MAIL, implement the project, monitor progress, and evaluate impact.
The second project component, which is aimed at increasing productivity and improvement of output of livestock, includes three major sub-components: animal health, integrated dairy development and poultry production. The present Terms of Reference describe the work to be undertaken by a Cashmere Production Specialist to assist the MAIL of the Government of Afghanistan (GOA) to implement a study on Improvement in the Production of Animal Fibres.
Livestock and Afghan Cashmere Production
Livestock have always played an integral role in Afghanistan’s farming systems. Rangeland, which covers nearly half (45 percent) of the geographic area, traditionally supports a large livestock population. After a period of hostilities and severe drought, sheep and goat populations have been recovering since 2002, but production efficiency and quality needs to be improved.

During the spring of 2006 a survey was conducted in Afghanistan to determine the quality of the Afghan cashmere and its regional distribution. The survey was conducted in 9 provinces in Afghanistan and the samples were analyzed in the UK. The results showed that the Afghan cashmere is of high quality by international standards; of equal or even better quality than much Mongolian cashmere, and comparable to the world’s best cashmere produced in China. The average diameter was 14.2 micron, whereas the average diameter of Iranian cashmere, with which Afghan cashmere is often compared, is over 17 micron! The main drawback in quality is the relatively short length of cashmere in some provinces, particularly Badakhshan and Baghlan, which may reduce international value. Processors prefer raw fibre length of 40 - 60 mm, and the means for the Afghan samples were from 31 –47 mm. Six of the ten provinces sampled had mid lengths below 40 mm. Currently Afghan cashmere is often marketed as Iranian cashmere, and price indicators tend to group Iranian and Afghan cashmere together. The promising results of the survey, when confirmed, would present a tremendous opportunity for Afghanistan to market itself as a supplier of high quality cashmere to the world market.

Traditionally Afghan cashmere is mostly harvested in the north-western provinces of Ghor, Herat, Badghis and Farah, and to a lesser degree in the northern and north-eastern provinces. In many provinces of Afghanistan the cashmere is not harvested at all; a lost opportunity for the farmer to obtain additional income from his goats. More information is required on the quality and yield of the goats in these areas, to determine whether harvesting will indeed lead to an income increase. Publicity and awareness campaigns could be targeted specifically to these areas, leading to increase farmers’ income and overall cashmere production in Afghanistan.

Selective breeding programs to improve the quality of cashmere will need to rely on solid information on the attributes of the cashmere in the different regions, while breeding decisions should be made on the specific attributes of the goats in the various areas. In this context, it is proposed to carry out a study of the potential for improving animal fibres production in Afghanistan and the terms of reference for this work are described below.

Terms of Reference

Objective of Assignment:
A Cashmere Quality Improvement Program needs to be developed, that builds on international best practice and is realistic to be implemented within the Afghan context. The objective of the Program would be to improve the quality and income-generating potential of the Afghan cashmere at the producer’s level. There may be tension between improving the quality and the income-generation potential of the cashmere, in which case economic considerations shall prevail. However, in this context it is important to take a long-term perspective and take into consideration Afghanistan’s competitiveness in the world-market in the long run.

Responsibilities & Tasks:

1. Provide a presentation to the key actors working in Cashmere Value Chain Development in MAIL/HLP and ASAP on international experience regarding cashmere quality improvement programs. This presentation must include lessons learnt on:
• Nutritional programs
• Nucleus breeding herds
• Promoting selective breeding by farmers
• Establishing quality standards for Afghan cashmere (potentially in collaboration with the private sector)

2. Conduct a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a:
• Nutritional program to improve the quality of the cashmere with selected farmers
• Selective breeding program with selected farmers, including increased capacity of farmers to visually assess cashmere quality characteristics
• Nucleus breeding herd program
• Any other type of program deemed necessary to reach the above objective

3. Design a plan of implementation for these key strategies, which:
• Is realistically implemental in the Afghan context
• Can reach practical, measurable results within the 3-year HLP project period
• has a clear exit strategy, and
• can be initiated in the Western provinces and can be replicated elsewhere
• the implementation plan must include:
i. Mechanisms to select the participating farmers
ii. The management structure of the program (e.g. the nucleus breeding herd program)
iii. The role of the MAIL vis-à-vis the role of the private sector

Methodology:
The consultant is expected to conduct the above tasks through a combination of:
• Desk review
• Interviews with key informants in MAIL, NGOs, veterinarians, farmers, etc.
• Field visits

Deliverables:
• A final report outlining the preferred strategy for cashmere quality improvement in Afghanistan, and
• An implementation plan for a Cashmere Quality Improvement Program

Duration of Assignment:
• 8 weeks (7 weeks in Afghanistan and 1 week report writing)

Reporting Responsibility:
• The specialist will report to the HLP Director and work together with the HLP Livestock Coordinator. The consultant will submit his/her final report to the HLP Director.

HLP Support:
• Logistic support and office space
• An Afghan counter-part with specific knowledge on livestock production aspects in Afghanistan, and with contacts in the veterinary sector

Duty station:
• Kabul and Herat, with field travel to the provinces and districts

Qualifications Required:
• Post graduate degree in animal production and/or animal genetics;
 At least 5 years experience in working with animal fibre production and marketing;
 Extensive work experience from developing countries and cross-culture situations, preferably from Central Asia countries;
 Extensive experience in working with stakeholder associations and institutions;
 Demonstrable experience in project planning and implementation;
 Proven oral and written communication skills, fluency in English and comprehensive computer skills.

Shortlisting & Selection Criteria:
• Academic Background,
• Experience (as detailed in the para above),
• Knowledge of Local Conditions (detailed above)
• Interview Score


SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS:

Format: Applications and CVs must be submitted in PDF Format or as printed copies sent by mail / courier. The “Summary of Resume / CV” form must be filled and attached to the Resume/CV submitted.

Method: Applications can be submitted in any of the following means

1. By E-Mail to Sanjeev.mathur@ards.org.af,

AND / OR

2. In a sealed envelope delivered to the following address:
Attn: Mr Sanjeev Mathur,
Procurement Advisor,
Mobile: 0093 797690164
Afghanistan Reconstruction and Development Services (PU)
5th and 6th Floor, Ministry of Economy Building,
Kabul, Afghanistan,

Marking: Title : “Consultant for Study on Improvement in Production of Animal Fibres”

If submitting by E-Mail, use the title as the Subject of the E-Mail.

If submitting by mail / courier, write the title on top of the envelope containing the Application.

Last Date: The Last Date for Submission of Applications is by 16 hrs local time 27th September 2007.
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