IRFAN ALI CHANDIO
Karachi
Summary
Versatile agricultural professional with 10+ years of hands-on experience spanning crop research, plant breeding, field trial management, and agri-supply chain operations. Holds an M.Sc. (Hons.) in Agriculture Plant Breeding & Genetics and a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Plant Breeding and Genetics from Sindh Agriculture University. Demonstrated track record of designing and executing multi-crop field trials, evaluating wheat and rice genotypes under stress conditions, and managing organic cotton production programs. Published author with 10 peer-reviewed contributions and active participation in international scientific webinars on plant pathology, nematology, and biocontrol.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Executive – Procurement & Supply Chain (Organic Cotton R&D)
Sapphire Textiles Mills Ltd.
Pakistan
09.2022 - Current
- Lead research, monitoring, and supply chain operations for Sapphire's Organic Cotton initiative spanning farming communities across Balochistan and Punjab.
- Manage end-to-end organic cotton supply chain from seed procurement and field supervision to bale grading, dispatch, and mill delivery across two provinces.
- Coordinate and train 100+ farmers on sustainable agronomy practices including biofertilizer and biopesticide application, driving measurable improvement in crop quality.
- Plan and control seasonal production budgets, prepare monthly work plans and progress reports for senior leadership.
- Oversee greenhouse operations and equipment maintenance; manage procurement of certified organic seeds and inputs.
- Design and implement capacity-building workshops, field training sessions, and knowledge transfer programs for farming communities.
- Lead R&D activities for Organic Cotton production, covering agronomy, quality assurance, and sustainable supply chain management.
- Monitor and evaluate all production phases of the Organic Cotton Project including planting, irrigation, application of biofertilizers/biopesticides, harvesting, and grading.
- Design and implement capacity-building programs and field training to enhance farmer technical knowledge on organic practices.
- Supervise procurement of cotton bales and coordinate dispatch to textile units, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
- Maintain systematic documentation, progress reports, and monthly work plans for all field-based and office operations.
Assistant Manager – Operations (Agriculture & Livestock)
OBH Farm / KH Group of Companies
Pakistan
02.2021 - 08.2021
- Oversaw day-to-day farm operations including planning, planting, irrigation management, harvesting, and recordkeeping.
- Developed and implemented cost control strategies; monitored market trends to support procurement and business decisions.
- Coordinated with Farm Supervisor and Finance Department for expense tracking, vendor management, and financial reporting.
- Reported directly to the COO on operational progress; conducted regular visits to farms and livestock markets.
Research Fellow – Crop Improvement & Multi-Crop Systems
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission – Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA)
Tandojam, Pakistan
01.2018 - 01.2021
- Conducted applied research on crop improvement across multi-crop farming systems including wheat, rice, sunflower, mustard, soybean, cotton, and sugarcane.
- Designed, established, and managed field trials evaluating M2 wheat mutant populations for yield and stress-tolerance traits under terminal drought conditions.
- Evaluated multiple rice genotypes for performance, adaptability, and yield potential through systematic field experimentation.
- Coordinated with the Project Manager (SAGP) to prepare monthly work plans, progress reports, and a comprehensive final project report.
- Recorded and systematically organized all research data including field notes, photographs, and analytical outputs.
- Facilitated training programs for farmers and technical staff on practical approaches to stress-tolerance identification.
Technical Officer – Agriculture Project
Dalda Foods Pvt. Ltd.
Pakistan
05.2014 - 05.2017
- Designed and implemented field trials on oilseed and major crops including sunflower, mustard, soybean, cotton, wheat, rice, and sugarcane across multiple agricultural farms.
- Conducted R&D activities on multi-crop systems; ensured proper documentation, analysis, and evaluation of all research trials.
- Supported project planning, data collection, and reporting; managed office-based operations related to trial coordination.
Education
M.Sc. (Hons.) - Agriculture, Plant Breeding & Genetics
Sindh Agriculture University
Tandojam, Pakistan01-2015
B.Sc. (Hons.) - Agriculture, Plant Pathology
Sindh Agriculture University
Tandojam, Pakistan01-2012
Skills
- Plant Breeding & Genetics
- Multi-Crop Field Trials
- Integrated Plant Nutrition Management
- Crop Stress Tolerance Studies
- Rice Genotype Evaluation
- Oilseed & Cereal Research
- Organic Cotton R&D
- Soil Testing & Analysis
Certification
- International Webinar – Alternatives to Chemical Fungicides for Citrus Post-Harvest Disease Control (Feb 2021)
- International Webinar – Stealth Pathogens: Sooty Blotch & Flyspeck Fungal Complex (Apr 2021)
- International Webinar – Cyst Nematode Population Suppression, Prof. Ole Becker, UC Riverside (May 2021)
- International Webinar – Host-Pathogen Interactions, Prof. Gitta Coaker, UC Davis (Jul 2021)
- International Webinar – Xanthomonas perforins: A Changing Pathogen, Prof. Jeffrey Jones, Univ. of Florida (Oct 2021)
- 3-Day Training: Practical Approaches for Stress Plant Tolerance Identification, NIA Tandojam (2019 & 2020)
- One-Week Training Course on Cotton Ginning – Karachi Cotton Association (KCA), 2025
- Optimization of Supply Chain & Trading Workshop (Feb 2025)
- National Productivity Organization Workshop – Ministry of Industries, Government of Pakistan
Languages
English (Fluent)
Urdu
Punjabi
Timeline
Senior Executive – Procurement & Supply Chain (Organic Cotton R&D)
Sapphire Textiles Mills Ltd.
09.2022 - Current
Assistant Manager – Operations (Agriculture & Livestock)
OBH Farm / KH Group of Companies
02.2021 - 08.2021
Research Fellow – Crop Improvement & Multi-Crop Systems
Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission – Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA)
01.2018 - 01.2021
Technical Officer – Agriculture Project
Dalda Foods Pvt. Ltd.
05.2014 - 05.2017
B.Sc. (Hons.) - Agriculture, Plant Pathology
Sindh Agriculture University
M.Sc. (Hons.) - Agriculture, Plant Breeding & Genetics
Sindh Agriculture University
ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS
Appreciation Award – Organizing 8th International Conference of Pakistan Phytopathological Society on Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security, IUB Pakistan., Appreciation Award – Organizing International Scientific Seminar Series, Dept. of Plant Pathology, IUB Pakistan., Award – Organizing Plant Pathology Sport Fest 2022 and Agrarians Fun Fest 2022 & 2023., Certificate of Internship on Wheat Crop – Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, NIA Tandojam., Certificate in Microsoft Office – Unique Institute of Computer Science.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- Evaluation of M2 wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) mutants for yield and yield-contributing traits.
- Effect of terminal drought stress on morpho-physiological traits of wheat genotypes.
- Analysis of correlation and regression among M2 wheat mutant populations for yield and associated traits.
- Effects of genetic components by environmental interactions of maize hybrids across locations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
- Full publication list: scholar.google.com/citations?user=O5GhVCcAAAAJ