Page 91 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

Purpose-built warehouses still pose a challenge to most Agrodealers in Malawi.
Most of the Agrodealers supported by AFAP Malawi still used limited segments
of their rented shops for product storage, primarily fertilizer.
Despite owning a purposely built warehouse, Tisaiwale AgroTrading has been
facing challenges in renovating its warehouse, which had gradually become
unsuitable for a fertilizer-storage facility.
Tisaiwale AgroTrading started its business in 2002. The agrodealer operates
its main shop at the Mponela Trading Center, 50 km from Lilongwe. Tisaiwale
trades in a wide range of agricultural inputs and also supplies the other 10
Agrodealers in the region as well as output buyers. In 2002, Dinnah Kapiza, the
director for Tisaiwale, began the construction of a purpose-built fertilizer-storage
warehouse for her growing business. However, 20 years later the warehouse has
become dilapidated and needs a comprehensive renovation to be used for its
original purpose.

Through the AFAPs Agribusiness Partnership Contract (APC) mechanism,
Tisaiwale requested support in renovating the warehouse. Through a matching
grant, AFAP has been able to support this request. The renovation works
include but are not limited to: roofing maintenance; plastering; painting; and
the construction of a drainage system. The maintenance works were valued at
USD5000 and have since been completed.
AFAP has also supported the payment of salaries for extension workers at
Tisaiwale and another Hub Agrodealer. Another successful project is the
establishment of demonstration plots and the financing of farmer field days.
Kapiza has commended AFAP for the support it is rendering to its Agrodealers:
“I can now order fertilizer with confidence as I have a proper warehouse, which has
been renovated to provide a conducive environment for fertilizer storage.”

In 2018, AFAP also supported the expansion of warehousing for Mawindo
Enterprise in Dedza through a matching grant facility. AFAP prides itself on
providing the much-needed interventions to address those challenges Hub
Agrodealers are facing when moving the fertilizer to its last destination and also
serving as the first point of access to supply product, primarily fertilizer. AFAP
Malawi is currently supporting 18 Hub Agrodealers in the central, northern and
southern Malawi. The agrodealers are supported primarily through: extension
support; capacity building; mobility equipment support (extension motorbikes);
and by providing linkages to fertilizer suppliers.

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