Kiboga farmers want to set the pace but katogo of challenges set the pain

A milk-producing district would want good roads, stable power supply while also praying for prices to not fluctuate but for Kiboga farmers, nothing seems to work in their favour.

Poor roads, fluctuating milk prices, animals diseases, unreliable power supply, among other factor,s have left many receiving pain where they want to set the economic pace.

In a bad to address some of these challenges, Heifer International, in partnership with the government, has installed the solar power plant Photovoltaic (PV) system with capacity of 108.25KWP to run milk cooling plants for the two dairy cooperatives of Dwaniro and Nabitaga.

While commissioning the plant, the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, assured the community that the government was making strides to ensure access to power in all districts.

However, she warned individuals that have made it a habit vandalising infrastructures.

"People want power, but it's bad that in some places where power is there ill hearted people vandalising our infrastructures, this is costing government huge amounts of money to repair, that money would have been used to extend power to other places," Nankabirwa said.

Mr William Matovu, the Heifer International country director, committed that their target is to reach at least 400,000 small holder farmers country wide especially those dealing in dairy.

"We acknowledge there are a lot of challenges, that especially small holder farmers face, ranging from milk coolers, financial skills, how to manage cows, and so many others," he said.

"We are looking forward to supporting about 400,000 small holder farmers, if funds allow we can go beyond that, all we want to see the dairy sector grow including those in villages by 2030."

Mr Johnson Kwesigabo, chairperson of Dwaniro Dairy and Livestock Cooperative Society, said while they plan to add value to their milk, there are still a lot of challenges like the poor road network, unreliable power supply, and market which the government should intervene in.

"For value addition we have learnt, but how about the bad roads, market the prices keep changing day and night. Besides solar, can't we have stable hydro power because not all the farmers will use this solar power plant?" Kwesigabo said.

The installation of the solar plant system cost over four hundred million shillings under the Powering Renewable Energy opportunity that aims to support enterprises harnessing renewable energy to improve incomes, build climate resilience and reduce reliance on fuel.