Territory Sales Officer (Vegetable Grafted Seedlings)

Job description: Vanashanti Farmers Producer Company

• Chintamani, Kolar and Chikkaballapur, Karnataka Role overview We are looking for a local, field-based sales professional to sell grafted vegetable seedlings to farmers across the Kolar–Chikkaballapur vegetable belt. The main crops are tomato, capsicum, brinjal, chilli and cucurbits (cucumber, watermelon, bitter gourd), including polyhouse growers. The ideal candidate has 2–4 years of field experience with a vegetable seed, nursery or crop-protection company and already knows the vegetable farmers, nurseries and input dealers in the area. Position Territory Sales Officer – Vegetable Grafted Seedlings Organisation Vanashanti Farmers Producer Company Base location Chintamani, Karnataka (local candidate from Kolar or Chikkaballapur district) Territory Chikkaballapur district (Chintamani, Sidlaghatta, Chikkaballapur, Gauribidanur, Bagepalli) and Kolar district (Kolar, Srinivaspur, Mulbagal, Malur, Bangarpet) Product focus Grafted vegetable seedlings: tomato, capsicum, brinjal, chilli and cucurbits (cucumber, watermelon, bitter gourd), including polyhouse growers Reports to Sales Head, Vanashanti Employment type Full-time, field role (about 80% of time in villages) Experience 2–4 years in agri-input field sales or market development (vegetable seeds, nursery or crop protection) The officer turns vegetable farmers' interest in grafted seedlings into confirmed bookings and paid orders. They then make sure each order is dispatched from the nursery and planted correctly, and that the farmer sees results good enough to buy again and recommend it to others.

Key responsibilities

1. Demand generation with vegetable farmers  Map vegetable farmers village by village: crops, acreage, planting seasons, varieties used, past losses from bacterial and Fusarium wilt, root-knot nematode, viral pressure and other soil-borne problems, and current seedling source.  Run farmer group meetings, one-to-one farm visits and field days that show how grafted seedlings outperform non-grafted ones in plant survival, disease and stress tolerance, crop duration and yield.  Set up and maintain demonstration plots, grafted next to non-grafted, for the main crops in key villages, and take farmers on visits to them.  Follow the crop calendar so that farmers are contacted well before each planting window for every crop.
2. Bookings and order management  Convert interest into firm bookings with an advance payment, capturing crop, variety, rootstock, quantity, planting date and delivery location.  Send confirmed bookings to the nursery in time for grafting lead times, and update the nursery when farmers change dates.  Coordinate dispatch with the nursery and transport team, and be present or available on delivery days.  Collect balance payments on delivery and follow up on any outstanding amount.
3. After-sales agronomy support  Advise farmers on transplanting grafted seedlings correctly: keeping the graft union above soil, hardening, spacing, staking or trellising, and irrigation.  Visit planted fields at fixed points (first week, 30 days, flowering, first harvest) to check plant establishment and resolve problems.  Record field performance and farmer feedback, and collect testimonials, photos and yield data for promotion.
4. Channel and influencer network  Build relationships with the Kolar and Chintamani APMC markets, horticulture department officers, KVKs, polyhouse growers, nurseries, FPOs and agri-input dealers.  Where useful, appoint and manage booking agents or dealers who take orders on commission.  Represent the company at Raitha Samparka Kendras, horticulture department meetings, Krishi Vigyan Kendras and local agri fairs.
5. Market intelligence  Track competing grafted-seedling suppliers and conventional nurseries: prices, crops, quality complaints and credit terms.  Report vegetable price trends and planting intentions, since these drive demand for seedlings.
6. Reporting and discipline  Plan daily tour routes in advance and log every farmer and dealer visit with GPS check-in on the field app.  Send a daily report (visits, bookings, collections, issues) and a weekly plan for the next week.  Meet monthly targets for bookings, seedlings sold, collections and demonstration plots.

Qualifications

and profile Education  B.Sc. (Agriculture) or B.Sc. (Horticulture) preferred; diploma in agriculture or horticulture with strong field experience is acceptable. Experience  2–4 years in field sales or market development with a vegetable seed, nursery or crop-protection company (MDO, Field Officer or Sales Officer roles).

 Practical knowledge of vegetable crops grown in the territory: nursery management, transplanting, major pests and diseases, and the local season calendar.  Experience running farmer meetings, demo plots and field days, and handling dealers and collections.  Exposure to grafted seedlings, protected cultivation or nursery sales is an advantage but not required.

Local fit (must have)  Resident of the territory, with an existing network of vegetable farmers, dealers and nurseries.  Fluent in Kannada; working Telugu is a strong advantage for the border villages.  Owns a two-wheeler and holds a valid driving licence. Skills and attributes  Confident speaker in farmer meetings; able to explain the economics of grafted vs non-grafted seedlings in simple terms.

 Comfortable with a smartphone field app, WhatsApp groups, photos and simple Excel reports.  Self-driven and disciplined about daily tour plans; works independently in the field.  Honest with cash collections and farmer commitments.

What we offer

 Competitive fixed salary based on experience.  Travel allowance per km for two-wheeler use, daily field allowance and mobile allowance.  Performance incentive on seedlings sold and collected.  The chance to build a new grafted-seedling business in the Kolar–Chikkaballapur vegetable belt. Work Location: In person