Mundawathu
Mundawathu Project Summary
As Malawians grapple with the high cost of fertilizer, private sector players are innovating to offer better options to farmers. Mundawathu is one of the key players in the sector, supporting farmers with organic fertilizer. The company is currently producing over 100 metric tonnes per month, which is sold through 25 centers across Malawi. As a Malawian agribusiness specializing in climate adaptation and resilience, Mundawathu provides innovative agricultural solutions to last-mile communities. The company focuses on combating climate change and promoting sustainable farming practices by offering organic fertilizers and certified drought-resistant crops. These products enhance productivity and resilience, particularly for low-income farmers who may struggle to afford conventional chemical fertilizers.
Through the GETF project, Mundawathu Garden is driving sustainable agricultural transformation in Malawi, improving farmer resilience and boosting rural incomes. By the end of the project, the company will enable 7,500 households to access affordable organic fertilizer, create 30 jobs (with 50% allocated to women and youth), increase aggregate income by 20% for 300 low-income households, and sell over 2,000 tonnes of organic fertilizer.
To support its expansion, Mundawathu is strengthening supply chain visibility and input auditing, ensuring accountability and the production of high-quality organic products. The company also integrates digital solutions to modernize commercial farming while promoting waste management and biodiversity conservation through afforestation initiatives.
With GETF support, Mundawathu Garden Limited will:
Expand its organic fertilizer production facilities to serve more smallholder farmers.
Procure advanced machinery for granulated organic fertilizer processing.
Acquire a dump truck, plant nutrient analyzers, and a marketing vehicle to enhance sales and distribution.
Construct a landfill, drill a borehole, and install a solar-powered water supply at the project site.
Build a warehouse for storing raw materials and processed products.
Develop a digital management system for inventory and stock tracking.
By investing in modern processing technology and scaling up its operations, Mundawathu is not only improving soil health and farmer productivity but also pioneering digital innovation in Malawi’s agri-business sector.
Key Innovation
The production of granulated organic fertilizer is the key innovation under the proposed project. The company is also investing in the laboratory to enhance quality control of organic fertilizer.
Status of Project Implementation
Mundawathu Gardens was contracted under the GETF project on October 14, 2024. Between October and December 2024, the company’s focus was on the development of architectural designs and BOQs (Bills of Quantities), creating an ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) framework, and obtaining regulatory approvals. Additionally, they worked on gathering quotations for productive assets.
These deliverables are essential for the company to unlock the Milestone 1 reimbursement from UNDP.
a. Architectural Designs and BOQs
In October 2024, Mundawathu Gardens engaged Wongani Nkhoswe, an Architect, of 15x30 Studios company to produce designs for the warehouse and BOQs for the warehouse and refill site. The designs were already shared with the GETF team as part of Milestone 1 deliverables.
b. Regulatory approvals
Mundawathu Gardens has obtained organic fertilizer production approval from Chitedze Research Station, land use and development approvals from Lilongwe City Council, and environmental management approval from the Malawi Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA). Additionally, the City Council has advised the company to obtain a recycling business license, for which a request has already been submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change.
c. Quotations
Mundawathu Gardens has obtained two quotations for the organic fertilizer granule production line and other productive assets from ABC Machinery and Zhengzhou Tianci Heavy Industry Machinery Co. Ltd., both based in China. However, payments for these assets will only be made once Milestone 1 is achieved and reimbursed.
d. Marketing
The company currently distributes its organic fertilizer through 25 centers nationwide, operating under an Agent model where agents earn a commission on sales. Additionally, Mundawathu covers the cost of branding at all agent shops to enhance visibility and market presence.
Project Milestones
Since the project implementation commenced in October 2024, the company has not achieved any milestone yet. However, projections have been made for delivery of the milestones as follows:
Milestone 1 to be achieved by end of February 2025
Milestone 2 to be achieved by end of March 2025
Milestone 3 to be achieved by end of September 2025
Milestone 4 to be achieved by end of March 2026
Milestone 5 to be achieved by end of September 2026