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"[LILONGWE] When Robert Mbendera started out as a small-scale dairy farmer in
rural Malawi 20 years ago, milking the one cow he owned was an arduous,
time-consuming process.
“It would take about 80 minutes to milk the cow — that’s 80 minutes in the
morning and 80 minutes in the evening,” he told
SciDev.Net.
“I would start imagining what a lot of hard work and expense it would involve
if I were to have three or four cows.”
But this changed in 2020 when researchers at the Lilongwe University of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) trialled a solar-powered milking
device and water pumping system at Mbendera’s farm in the Dedza district of
central Malawi.
The milking device dramatically reduced milking time.
“Now it takes me between eight and ten minutes to milk the cow,” he said.
Since then, Mbendera and other farmers who tested the technology, have seen
improvements in efficiency, milk produced, and quality of life.
“I don’t have to go far to fetch water for the milking process because the
system is supplying water right here on my yard,” explained Mbendera.
“Now it means I have more time on other equally important activities.”"
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
