Solar energy: the lifeline of dairy farmers

In Uganda’s “Cattle Corridor,” rural pastoral communities have long embraced a lifestyle deeply intertwined with nature. Most of the population relies on cattle for income and livelihood. However, climate change poses a significant threat to their future. Over the years, recurrent prolonged droughts, floods and erratic weather patterns have resulted in substantial livestock losses, causing severe financial hardship to farmers.

Recent heavy rains have made some of the rural roads impassable. In one case, Lactate Jesa failed to collect milk from bulk farmers at the Nyakarongo Cooperative in Kinoni Sub-county, Nakaseke District because of bad roads. To keep the milk fresh, farmers rely on cooling machines at the milk collection center.

The 161-member cooperative has significantly increased its daily milk production from 2,000 liters in 2021 when they first started, to 4,800 liters today.

However, the cooperative’s reliance on diesel generators to power the plant places a significant financial burden on farmers. The factory consumes 25 liters of fuel daily, costing about Shs152,500 per day, which translates to Shs4.5 million per month. In addition, the cooperative incurs weekly water costs of about Shs 300,000.

James Nuwagaba, chairman of the Nyakarongo Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, explains that they now sell their milk to private firms to prevent spoilage.

Although milk collection has improved significantly and other milk has been turned into yogurt, farmers are still caught in a cycle of crisis, making production unsustainable in many cases.

Some farmers, who produce up to 300 liters daily, cannot transport their milk to the collection center because of the poor road network.

The good news is that Nyakarongo is one of the cooperatives set to receive solar PV installations at their milk cooling centers as part of the DREEM Hub project.

The uptake of solar energy in Uganda has grown steadily in recent years. According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 38% of the population used solar energy in 2020, a significant increase from 18% in 2017. This increase is driven by various factors, including increased awareness, government support and falling costs of solar technology.

However, challenges such as high upfront costs, technical complexities and limited access to finance still hinder widespread adoption, especially in rural areas.

Some vulnerable farmers in remote areas of the cattle corridor are often faced with the heartbreaking decision to let their milk spoil if they cannot consume it all, especially during the rainy season when milk is in abundance. This not only puts their livelihoods at risk, but further exposes them to the impacts of climate change.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), critical to the local economy and employment, face rising energy prices, inflation and limited access to finance, hampering their ability to invest and grow.

One way to address these complex challenges is to expand the use of climate-resilient technologies, which offer a unique opportunity to improve access to energy and increase dairy productivity.

With funding from the Mott Foundation, Heifer International Uganda is actively supporting the adoption of solar solutions in the dry area of Nakaseke District in Uganda. The project aims to empower farmers, create green jobs and strengthen resilience to climate change.

This effort aligns with Uganda’s plans outlined in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). Uganda aims to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by 24.7% by 2030, totaling an absolute reduction of 36.75 MtCO2e and working towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

The project is committed to applying and empowering 1,500 farmers in sustainable agricultural practices and providing solar skills to 1,000 young men and women entrepreneurs.

To improve the quality and shelf life of milk, the project promotes the adoption of solar energy solutions such as solar powered milk cooling systems. These systems reduce dependence on fossil fuels, lower operating costs and ensure that farmers can deliver fresh, high-quality milk to market.

The project also focuses on strengthening the dairy value chain by supporting dairy cooperatives to increase their capacity to collect, process and market milk efficiently. This includes ensuring access to affordable finance, technical assistance and market linkages.

To ensure the long-term sustainability of solar energy initiatives in Uganda, the project will establish a DREEM hub. This hub will serve as a central platform for coordinating and facilitating ongoing Productive Sustainable Use of Solar Energy (PUSE) initiatives, providing technical support, training and networking opportunities.

William Matovu, Heifer International’s country manager in Uganda, says access to solar energy is bringing efficiency to the milk value chain.

“I foresee a big impact in the next three years with farmers able to save money while producing efficiently,” says Matovu, noting that this is a scalable seed partnership.

The system will be available on a debt-grant model, where Heifer will subsidize the cost, reducing the financial burden on farmers.

Heifer has already invested 69 lei in recent interventions, providing farmers with essential tools such as grass cutters, manual water pumps, household solar systems, milk cartons and clean water. Dairy farmers were able to use the new solar powered facilities to support their production activities. In remote areas, milk carton coolers significantly improve milk collection and storage.

During a recent visit to Uganda to assess the need for solar energy in the dairy sector, Neal Hegarty, the Mott Foundation’s Vice President of Programs, highlighted the potential of community-based initiatives to mitigate the challenges of climate change.

“One of the ways the Mott Foundation addresses these challenges is by focusing on practical, community-level solutions. We explore how solar energy can improve livelihoods, enhance economic sustainability and contribute to global action on climate change by reducing reliance on diesel generators. and fossil fuels,” explains Hegarty.

Heifer commissioned a 41.4 kilowatt peak (kWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) system for the Migina Milk Collection Center in 2023, one of two beneficiaries of solar photovoltaic installations in Kiboga district.

Prior to the installation of the solar system, the cooperative relied on generators as a source of power and as a result used to spend $30,000 (about Shs108 million) annually on the maintenance, upkeep and power of the machines. Unreliability of generators and high maintenance fees resulted in high operating costs for the cooperative and in turn lower prices offered to farmers for their milk.

With sufficient and reliable solar power, Dwaniro Dairy and Livestock Farmers Cooperative has reduced milk wastage to zero at the Migina Milk Collection Centre.

Dairy farmers were able to use the new solar powered facilities to support their production activities.

According to Steven Kawooya, the cooperative’s production and marketing manager, 197,321 liters of milk worth $49,682 (Shs180 million) is now refrigerated monthly and the cooperative has reduced its electricity costs to $18,170 (Shs 65 million) per annum.

“With fewer losses incurred by the cooperative, farmers save up to 46 percent of what they earn from milk sales,” says Kawooya.