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Processing and Preservation of Agricultural Products
Location: Guinea
Assignment Number: GUI293
Volunteers Requested: 1
Recruiter: Sherri Kabaou | SKabaou@winrock.org | 501.280.3019
Winrock International requests the support of a Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer for a 17 day volunteer assignment (including travel) located in Kissidougou – Guinea Forest. The volunteer will support the Groupement of Rural Women-Kissidougou in acquiring skills for the transformation and preservation of horticultural products. The Rural women’s group lacks the necessary technical skills and knowledge to embrace modern agricultural practices and value-added processing techniques. Due to this deficiency and the absence of sufficient training and capacity-building programs, they face difficulties in enhancing processing, conservation and adding value to their agricultural products. Therefore, the volunteer will play a pivotal role in facilitating practical sessions aimed to provide various processing techniques. These methods will utilize affordable equipment or local techniques in drying, freezing, canning, and producing jams from a selection of crops and fruits such as pepper, tomato, potato, cassava leaves, mangoes, and oranges.
With theoretical and hands-on training, the volunteer offers recommendations for cost-effective equipment procurement. These recommendations are crucial for enhancing the host organization’s capacity to scale up production while minimizing product spoilage and boosting sales. By leveraging affordable technology, the host will be empowered with the knowledge and resources needed to add value to agricultural products, thereby contributing to their economic sustainability and growth.
The volunteer should have the following qualifications and background:
• Degree and experience in food science and nutrition or related field
• 10+ years’ experience in food processing techniques, including drying, canning, freezing, juicing, and preserving in developing countries (particularly West Africa) is desired
• Experience in training and transferring hands-on knowledge to adults
• Good report writing, verbal and communication skills
• Ability to travel to site about 600 km to Conakry by the project vehicle.