Page 99 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

Mawindo Enterprise is one of the AFAP-supported hubs, which has defied all
the odds to make a successful business that gains momentum each season.
Mawindo Enterprise already has good customer-client relationships with Yara,
Omnia Fertilizers and Seed Co among others. Recently Mawindo Enterprise
landed a USD27 000 contract to distribute 10.5 metric tons of Corteva (Pannar)
Seed. The magnitude of the deal is worth noting. Only five Agrodealers in Malawi
have successfully bid on the contract, and of those on the list, only Mawindo is
an AFAP-supported Agrodealer.

During the 2018/19 agricultural season, Mawindo Enterprise partnered
with Pannar Seed in their demand-creation demonstration plots. The demo
plots were set up as part of project implementation for the Hub Agrodealer
development program in Malawi. The demo plots are also serving as awareness
demonstrations for the 23:10:5:6s +1Zn new N:P:K blanket fertilizer formulation
released by the government of Malawi in 2018. They also help promote best
agronomic practices. Pannar Seed noticed the significant improvement in its
seed sales through Mawindo as well as an increase in the awareness of their
brand through the demo plots. As such, Pannar did not hesitate to partnering
with Mawindo as its distributor.

In addition, Pannar was encouraged to work with Mawindo due its proper
storage capacity manifest in its warehouse built with assistance from AFAP. To
Mawindo it was a win-win situation: Pannar will be offloading the seed before
proceeding to Lilongwe, which will reduce transportation costs.

Mawindo Enterprise has taken the demand-creation initiative further through
radio advertisements. Of interest to Pannar is a jingle airing on Mbembeke
Community Radio, which warns customers of counterfeit Pannar seed being
sold by dubious traders. The advert attempts to educate the people of Dedza
about the new Pannar branding and also create awareness that Mawindo
Enterprise is an accredited Pannar seed distributor in the district.

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