By Aggrey Twesigye
www.mknewslink.com
In Mbarara—
Bishop Stuart University (BSU) has developed a range of innovative dairy products and technologies designed to improve the incomes and livelihoods of dairy farmers in south-western Uganda.
The innovations were developed under the two-year Innovate Dairy Project, which sought to address some of the major challenges affecting the dairy value chain in Kiruhura and Mbarara districts.
Speaking during the project’s close-out ceremony at Bishop Stuart University on Thursday, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and Principal Investigator of the project, Prof. Rebecca Kalibwani, said the initiative was designed to turn research into practical solutions for dairy farmers.
“The project focused on improving animal feeding, milk quality and access to better markets so that farmers can get more value from their dairy enterprises,” Kalibwani said.
The project was supported by the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) through a grant of US$62,500. It was implemented from June 2024 to June 2025.
Among the innovations produced are cosmetic products derived from ghee, a preservative designed to increase the shelf life of silage, smoked yoghurt with improved shelf stability, and a herbal treatment for liver fluke disease.
The project also produced mobile applications intended to help farmers test milk quality and manage their dairy businesses more effectively.
According to Kalibwani, the project further provided research opportunities for five postgraduate students who worked on developing value-added dairy products and technologies.
“These innovations have now reached the prototype stage and are ready for commercialization, but more financial investment is needed to support large-scale production and adoption,” she said.
Beyond developing new products, the project focused on building the capacity of dairy farmers and other stakeholders. Farmers received training in improved animal feeding, proper milk handling and sustainable waste management practices.
They were also introduced to bio digester technology, which enables farmers to turn animal waste into biogas for household energy while helping to reduce environmental pollution.
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Gershom Atukunda, the Director of the Directorate of Graduate Studies, Research and Innovations at Bishop Stuart University, praised the project for using research and innovation to support small-scale dairy farmers.
“The technologies developed through this project are already making a positive contribution to farming communities, and we hope they will receive further support to reach even more farmers,” Atukunda said.
He urged development partners, government agencies and other stakeholders to invest in the commercialization and expansion of the innovations.
“Scaling up these technologies will help increase productivity, improve household incomes and strengthen Uganda’s dairy value chain,” Atukunda said.