Description

Malawi has a high solar energy potential, which can be introduced into the country’s smallholder dairy industry. The overall objective of this project was to contribute towards improved milk production among smallholder dairy farmers in Malawi. This would be achieved through the introduction of two innovative solar-powered dairy production technologies (i) solar powered milking machines and (ii) solar-powered water supply systems. These two technologies are neither available in the local market nor used in the smallholder dairy industry. The specific objectives of the project were to: (i) assess the suitability of the proposed solar-powered dairy production technologies for smallholder dairy production systems in Malawi, (ii) evaluate the quantity and quality of milk produced after the introduction of the techniques, (iii) assess the socio-economic and gender impacts of the technologies, and (iv) promote the uptake of the technologies among smallholder dairy farmers in Malawi. With support from a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement supported by the Science Granting Councils Initiative and the Malawi National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST), the project was implemented in collaboration with Orifice Irrigation and Water Supply Limited.