Consultant for Wild Mushroom Post-Harvest Management, Processing and Enterprise Development by Communities

Job description

Consultant for Wild Mushroom Post-Harvest Management, Processing and Enterprise Development

Organization: AVSF Zambia

Project: Bush2Business

Location: Mpika and Lavushimanda Districts, Muchinga Province, Zambia

Proposed consultancy period: Approximately 30 days spread across three months

Expected starting date: 02/11/2026

1. Background

Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières (AVSF) is implementing the Bush2Business (B2B) project in Mpika and Lavushimanda districts of Muchinga Province. The project is supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) through the FEXTE fund and seeks to strengthen forest-based enterprises, improve income opportunities and promote sustainable use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs), with particular attention to women, youth and other community members participating in producer organizations.

Wild mushrooms are one of the NTFP value chains supported under the project. The value chain has potential to provide seasonal income to communities through collection, aggregation, processing and marketing. However, opportunities for increasing value from mushrooms can be limited by short shelf life, seasonal availability, post-harvest losses, limited processing knowledge, inadequate storage and packaging, and weak links between producers and markets. In addition, adequate processing techniques at community level for wild mushrooms is yet to be found due to several existing challenges : drying during rainy season (high level of air humidity), drying techniques (avoiding using wood or charcoal that would participate to deforestation), health risks associated with brining mushrooms (botulism) etc.

AVSF therefore intends to engage a suitably experienced consultant to provide practical technical and enterprise-development support to selected mushroom producer organizations. The assignment will combine field assessment, practical training on adapted processing techniques as well storage and packaging suitable for long distance transport, demonstrations, and follow-up so that the knowledge introduced can continue to be used by the project team and producer groups.

2. Objective of the Consultancy

The objective of this consultancy is to strengthen the capacity of selected producer organizations to handle, process, preserve and package mushrooms for improved marketability.

The consultant is expected to deliver the following:

·       Understand the current mushroom activities, practices and capacity of selected producer organizations.

·       Identify practical gaps affecting mushroom quality, shelf life, processing, value addition and commercialization.

·       Introduce appropriate techniques for handling, processing, packaging and storage, taking into account the challenges and risks mentioned before

·       Build the capacity of AVSF staff and selected local actors to continue providing technical support to producer groups.

·       Demonstrate appropriate value-addition options that can be applied at community level.

·       Demonstrate appropriate and low-cost packaging options (for processed and fresh mushrooms) for long distance transportation

·       Provide recommendations for continued development of the mushroom value chain.

Scope of Work

The assignment will cover selected producer organizations in Mpika and Lavushimanda. The consultant will work closely with the AVSF project team and relevant technical stakeholders. The main activities are:

1. Initial Field Assessment

The consultant will visit selected mushroom producer organizations to establish what is currently being done and where support is most needed. The assessment should use discussions, observation and practical review of existing activities.

·       Identify the mushroom species which are usually collected and review existing drying and processing practices

·       Examine seasonal availability and how communities currently plan collection and sales.

·       Review harvesting, sorting, cleaning, handling and transportation practices.

·       Assess available processing, drying, storage and packaging equipment and facilities.

·       Review hygiene and basic quality-control practices.

2. Preparation of Training Materials and Practical Tools

The consultant will prepare training materials based on the field findings and the needs of the participating groups. The materials should be simple enough to support community-level learning while providing sufficient technical guidance for the AVSF team. The manual should cover the following:

·       Good harvesting and post-harvest handling

·         Preservation, storage and transportation techniques of fresh and dry mushrooms for longer shelf life (low-tech technologies)

·       Processing, value addition and packaging (low-tech technologies)

·        Hygiene, quality and seasonal planning

3. Training of Trainers and Practical Capacity Building

The consultant will conduct a practical capacity-building programme for approximately 10–15 participants targeting the project field staff, relevant government personnel and staff from partner organizations as well as members of the selected user groups. This training will include:

·       Classroom sessions introducing the main technical and business concepts.

·       Hands-on demonstrations of mushroom handling, drying, processing, packaging and storage.

4. Follow-up and Learning Review

A follow-up visit will be undertaken during peak mushroom season to determine which practices have been adopted and what additional support may be required. The consultant will review progress with sampled producer organizations and the AVSF team.

·       Check application of improved handling, drying, processing and storage practices.

·       Review product quality and presentation following the training.

·       Identify remaining technical, equipment or infrastructure gaps

5. Consultant Profile

·       Demonstrable practical experience in mushroom production, collection, low-tech processing, preservation and value addition.

·       Experience working with rural communities, cooperatives, producer organizations or small enterprises.

·       Experience facilitating practical training and/or Training of Trainers programmes.

·       Practical knowledge of challenges related to mushroom post-harvest handling, drying, processing, packaging, storage and transportation.

6. Budget and Logistics

The budget of the financial proposal cannot exceed USD 9,000

The processing material and office supplies necessary for the training will be provided by the project (the list has to be provided in due course and approved by AVSF). Transportation within Lavishumanda and Mpika districts to visit producer groups will be provided by the project.

The consultant has to provide his/her own transportation from his duty station to the project area as well as accommodation.

How to apply

Interested candidates should submit proposals that include the following:

·       A brief cover letter (maximum one page) explaining the applicant’s interest in the           assignment and suitability for it.

·       Evidence of relevant track record: at least two examples of comparable consultancy assignments,  with a short description of the applicant’s role in each, and verifiable references.

·       A proposed approach of the assignment (maximum four pages), including a description on how the consultant plans to approach the particular low-tech mushroom processing and transport challenges.

• A financial proposal (submitted as a separate document) showing a fixed total price for           the whole assignment, inclusive of all costs and taxes. The financial proposal should be broken down by types of expenses
• Contact details for at least two professional referees who can speak to the quality and           reliability of the comparable work referenced above.       

Proposals should be submitted to the following email addresses: Email with title ‘Mushroom consultancy” to j.lipepo@avsf.org copy to k.mukoma@avsf.org and o.robineau@avsf.org

Deadline for applications: 28 October 2026