Heifer International partners Mott, Hilton Foundations to boost solar energy in Uganda’s dairy sector

UGANDA – Heifer International, the Mott Foundation, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation have announced a partnership to enhance solar energy access in Uganda’s dairy sector through the Distributed Renewable Energy Ecosystem Model (DREEM) HUB.

The DREEM HUB initiative, which will run from 2024 to 2026, aims to empower 1,500 dairy farmers and provide solar skills and entrepreneurship opportunities to 1,000 underserved youth and women in the Nakaseke District.

With a US$3 million investment, the project focuses on greening the dairy value chain, enhancing sustainable incomes, providing safe water access, and building climate resilience among smallholder farmers.

Heifer, with the support of the Ugandan Government and the Mott Foundation, will establish the DREEM hub as a platform to enhance the implementation of existing policy mechanisms for increasing the adoption and utilization of renewable energy, thereby promoting scalability and replicability within and beyond the sector,” Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International, stated.

The DREEM HUB will demonstrate the use of solar energy at the farmer, cooperative, and processor levels, greening the entire dairy value chain from production to distribution.

This initiative will result in sustainable incomes, safe water supply, and increased resilience of smallholder farmers and other dairy value chain actors to climate change impacts and shocks.

“We are committed to creating opportunities for farmers to enhance their income while protecting the environment. This is our shared goal with the Mott Foundation: to care for the earth by promoting sustainable farming practices,” William Matovu, Heifer International Uganda Country Director, added.

By establishing a self-sustaining platform, the DREEM HUB will continue advancing solar energy use in Uganda’s dairy sector beyond the initial project period, promoting long-term scalability and replicability in renewable energy adoption.

According to a report by The Economic Policy Research Center, Uganda has the potential to produce 10 billion litres of milk annually. However, livestock diseases pose a significant challenge, compelling farmers to resort to resilient yet low-yielding breeds.

Despite the challenges, in 2023, Uganda achieved a significant milestone as milk production exceeded the 3 billion mark for the first time.

Data from Dairy Development indicated that milk production for FY2022/23 reached 3.85 billion litres, a remarkable 37% increase compared to the 2.81 billion litres produced in the previous financial year.