Brookside banks on solar energy to power farms

Dairy farmers contracted by processor Brookside will benefit from the use of off-grid solar technology for the provision of water for their farms, with the aim of boosting milk production.

The use of solar energy will provide a reliable tool for the utilisation of existing water sources at the farms, with the assurance of year-round availability of the resource, which is key in milk production.

John Gethi, Brookside’s director of milk procurement and manufacturing said the solar irrigation system was also intended to enable farmers grow fodder crops using sprinkler irrigation, besides providing dairy animals with reliable drinking water.

He said the processor is currently running pilots on the project at  its demonstration farms in Uasin Gishu, Nyandarua, Kajiado and Kiambu, noting that adult healthy dairy animal requires between 75 to 80 litres of water daily. 

“Besides maintenance of body temperature, water is important in the digestion of feed and fodder,” Gethi said in Trans Nzoia during visits to smallholder farms contracted to the processor in the area.

The solar-powered water pumping system is amongst an array of green energy solutions Brookside has lined up for its farmers across the country, as the firm seeks to further consolidate its market lead in the sub-sector.

The technology, which the processor is undertaking under a partnership with Sunculture Ltd, a local non-governmental organisation, will empower smallholder farmers in ensuring that this essential input in dairy farming contributes towards the urgent need for consistency in milk production.

Gethi said that the use of solar technology in dairy farms will additionally uplift the social scene for farmers as the installation will also provide energy that will power home appliances and lighting of up to four bulbs