Page 67 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

Rose Kalua is the founder and managing director of performance in both of her business lines.
Tiwonge Investments in the northern part of Malawi. She
holds a diploma in agriculture, which she obtained from Over the years Kalua has created strong and reliable
the Bunda College of Agriculture in 1984. Kalua opened relationships with her customers, which includes
her company 15 years ago, originally starting by selling cooperatives such as Tasanganapo, Engucwini and
small quantities of seed on consignment basis. Today Vangalala in Mzimba District. Her management team
Rose has three permanent sales outlets in Mzuzu (her is committed to growing the business by providing
main outlet), Nkhata-Bay Boma and Karonga and opens excellent customer service.
seasonal outlets in all these districts including Rumphi
District depending on demand. Recently Kalua won a bid to supply fertilizer to the
Affordable Input Program (AIP), which has replaced
Over the years Kalua has managed to achieve impressive the Government Fertilizer Input Subsidy Program
growth rates for her business. Prior to becoming a hub in (FISP). Previously agro-dealers have complained that
the 2018-2019 season, she sold 15mts of fertilizer. However participating in the program only allowed them to sell
in the 2019/20 season, the tonnage has increased to seed. This meant that they were unable to act as a “one-
an impressive 683.7mts. Kalua also sells agrochemicals stop shop” for farmers, who would also need to buy other
and vegetable seeds, and she is also involved in output inputs. Tiwonge Investments’ participation in this year’s AIP
marketing. She buys commodity surplus from farmers is ground breaking achievement for an agro-dealership in
and sells it to agro food processors including, among Malawi. Kalua has already begun work on the program
others, the Export Trading Group and Central Poultry by attending several briefing meetings on how to meet
Feeds. She also the AIP’s standards when conducting business. This year’s
processes some program has modernised and is now making use of an
Managing Director, of the maize from e-system. This means that beneficiaries will not be issued
Tiwonge Investment
her three maize coupons but instead will use their identity cards, which
mills and sells it as will be scanned using smart phones. Each supplier has
corn flour. Kalua been allocated a specific area in which to operate. For
has warehouses example, Tiwonge Investments will supply the inputs for
in various districts AIP in Mzimba District in the Mbalachanda and Malidade
for storage Extension Planning Areas (EPAs).
purposes. Her
pick-up truck is Reflecting on this achievement, Rose Kalua has offered
another asset the following commentary:
as it moves
products to and I would like to thank AFAP for facilitating and
from farmers. As encouraging me to apply and indeed I have been picked
such, Kalua can to be one of the suppliers in the Mzimba District.
offer excellent

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