Heifer International Uganda successful commissioned three solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for Dwaniro and Nabitaga Dairy Farmers’ in Kiboga and Ssembabule districts respectively. This initiative demonstrates the role of renewable energy in commercializing the agricultural sector in Uganda.
The project has installed three solar PV systems of a total capacity of 108.25kWp to run milk chilling plants for the two dairy cooperatives; Dwaniro Dairy and Livestock Farmers Cooperative in Kiboga and Nabitanga Dairy Farmers Cooperative in Ssembabule district.
The investment has been supported by Solar for Sustainable Income in Diary (SSID) through the Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities (PREO) programme, which is co-funded by the IKEA Foundation and UK aid via the Transforming Energy Access platform.
The project aimed at bringing together solar technology companies, impact investors, project financiers, dairy farmer organizations and processors to demonstrate at scale the impact of productive energy use in the dairy sector.
The new solar installations are designed to meet the unique energy needs of dairy farms, offering a reliable and cost-effective power source. By harnessing solar energy, dairy farmers have reduced their dependence on fossil fuels, lowered their operational costs, and minimized their environmental footprint.
According to the Country Director for Heifer International Uganda William Matovu, this is the right step in ensuring access to reliable and cost-effective power in the dairy value chain.
“With this, the cooperatives will be able to increase their bulking capacity and volumes supplied to the processor and increase their revenues as a result of the reduced cost of operation. This initiative is also creating a clean energy source and their by reducing the carbon emissions.” Mr Matovu said.
“For instance, Dwaniro Dairy and Livestock Farmers Cooperative Limited has reduced milk losses at Migina Milk Collection Centre to zero. 197,321 liters of milk worth $49,682 are now chilled monthly, and the cooperative has reduced its power costs to $18,170 a year, and the farmers save up to 46 percent of what they earn from milk sales,” he noted.
‘’Once Dairy farmer cooperatives in the country switch from diesel generators to using solar power will bring efficiency within in their milk business value chain and also will also significantly reduce on carbon emissions that these generators are producing’’. Mr. Matovu said.
He added that Heifer has embarked on making investment that will see about Six Diary centers across the country are switched from using generators to solar power system and the campaign has started with Kiboga and sembabule districts.
According to him, Heifer has also profiled close to 24 other Dairy Farmer cooperatives in other places that have immediate need of switching from diesel generators solar especially where the main grid don’t exist and a number of partners are willing to fund this project.
Dwaniro Diary solar plant was commissioned by the Minister of Energy and Minerals Development Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa who applauded Heifer international Uganda for scaling up this initiative. “We applaud Heifer International for this initiative and hope that the learnings can be documented and used by other sector players including government to replicate the model even beyond the dairy value chain,” Minister Nankabirwa noted.
Nankabirwa further observed more need for the government to work on feeder roads and extending electricity among the areas of diary famers to ensure none of milk is lost during milk processing and transportation.
The project has been made possible by our partners Energy 4 Impact, Carbon Trust, Jesa Farm and the government of Uganda. This initiative is part of a broader effort by Heifer International Uganda to promote renewable energy solutions and support the agricultural sector in adopting innovative technologies.
Heifer Project International (HPI) is a global development organization with a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way. Heifer Uganda’s goal is to support 400,000 small holder farmers to close their living income gap by 2030.
PREO (Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities)’s mission is to support enterprises harnessing renewable energy to improve incomes, build climate resilience and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Since 2019, PREO has been supported by the IKEA Foundation and UK aid via the Transforming Energy Access platform and delivered by the Carbon Trust and Mercy Corps Energy 4 Impact. Since the programme’s inception, it has successfully awarded over £5m in grant funding to 34 projects across 11 sub-Saharan African countries.
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