Page 88 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

AFAP Malawi Partners

with Indigenous Seed

Companies in Demand-

Creation Activities

AFAP Malawi has made a concerted effort in setting up (MUSECO), which will provide seed to the AFAP-supported
partnerships with individuals and companies across the Agrodealers in a bid to create demand for their products
agricultural value chain. In particular, seed companies and services. Other seed companies, SeedCo, HarvestPlus
have joined forces with AFAP Malawi in the forthcoming and Corteva (formally Pannar) will also provide seed.
rain-fed demonstration plots for the 2019/20 agricultural In total AFAP is expected to receive 100kg of seed from
season. These demonstration plots were established as these companies and Yara has pledged 100kg (60 NPK
part of the Hub Agrodealer development programme in and 40 UREA) fertilizers. The Agrodealers are expected to
Malawi. establish two demonstration plots each for the 2019/20
agricultural season. The results, it is hoped, will build
In this project, the AFAP-supported Hub Agrodealers
are mandated to establish demonstration plots as a demand for their products and services, which include
demand-creation initiative for their products, primarily seed, fertilizer and agrochemicals.
fertilizer. The demonstration plots also serve as awareness Rose Kaluwa, who trades under Tiwonge Investiments
demos for the 23:10:6 +1Zn new N:P:K blanket fertilizer has since commended AFAP Malawi for a timely
formulation released by the government of Malawi in linkage with such companies. She hopes the working
2018. Furthermore they help in promoting agronomic relationship between them will will be of mutual benefit
best practices to smallholder farmers. to the Agrodealers, seed companies and the smallholder
farmers especially. Dr Ibrahim Benesi, The executive
Considering the equal significance of other agricultural
inputs like quality seed in crop production, AFAP Malawi director for MUSECO has welcomed the partnership and
has engaged to roll-out the 2019/20 demos through believes it will also help to improve the visibility of local
a partnership approach with seed companies. The seed companies. Additionally, MUSECO and Global Seeds
agreement so far is with two indigenous seed companies are part of the beneficiaries (grantees) of an Alliance for
Global Seed Company and The Multi Seed Company a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)-funded programme.

86