By Catherine Alumando
Farmers in the milk business, under the Shire Highlands Milk Producers Association (SHIMPA), are said to be reaping huge benefits as they transition from the national grid to off-grid solar energy.
Ester Paulo, a milk farmer from Mulanje District, is among the 275 members of Chisitu Milk Bulking Point, which supplies milk to major processors, including Lilongwe Dairy.
A single mother of two, she joined the milk business in 2024. But like many farmers at the bulking point, she struggled with losses.
Frequent power outages made it difficult to chill and store milk, putting her income at risk.
“Mulanje receives heavy rainfall, and every storm came with a blackout. The unreliable electricity supply threatened the survival of my business,” said Ester.
To reduce losses, the group bought a generator. However, it created another burden as the cooperative needed 20 litres of diesel every day to run it, and farmers were asked to contribute.
“For me,” Ester says, “10 percent of the [earnings from the] milk I delivered was going towards buying fuel. I was losing more than I was earning.”
Many farmers returned home with spoiled milk because the cooling tank kept going off.
Miles away from Chisitu, Elias Vincent Chisale, Chairperson for Thuchila Milk Bulking Group in the same district, shared his own experience before solar energy.
“Unstable power was costing me a fortune,” he said.
But since installing their own solar system, Thuchila farmers are now relieved.
“We no longer spend much on electricity units. The savings we make now go back into our farms,” Chisale added.
SHIMPA Advisor, Zione Chimpaka, said the impact of solar energy is spreading across the milk sector.
“Our association supplies 90 percent of all milk in Malawi.
“So far, five milk bulking groups have benefitted from solar power. It has improved the livelihoods of farmers who were spending most of their earnings on milk storage,” she explained.
Chiphaka attributed the progress to support from GIZ through the EnDev project, which seeks to maximise the productive use of clean energy in Malawi.
Beston Gama, Board Secretary for the Renewable Energy Industries Association, said the project complements their efforts to push for energy transition in Malawi at a broader level.
He added that the project’s focus on productivity is creating opportunities for market growth in the energy sector, which has been moving at a slow pace in the country.
According to officials from the EnDev project in Malawi, the solar panels have a lifespan of up to 25 years, while the batteries carry a five-year warranty, giving farmers long-term reliability and sustainability.
With such changes, Ester says her milk is now safe. From her two dairy cows, she has supported her children’s education.
Her first-born has completed school and is now employed while her younger child is in Standard Six. Her dream is to expand into a family milk business fully powered by clean energy.
“I am encouraging other dairy farmers to adopt productive use of energy solutions for improved income and a safe environment,” added Ester.
The progress in Chisitu, Thuchila, and other cooperative groups reflects Malawi’s wider aspirations for a sustainable future.
By helping rural farmers adopt renewable energy, the EnDev project is supporting Malawi’s efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 7, which promotes access to affordable, reliable, and clean energy.
