In the heart of Kenya’s North Rift, where dairy farming is a lifeline for many families, a quiet revolution is taking place. At Tuiyo Dairy Farmers’ Cooperative Society, what used to be a daily struggle with high electricity bills has now turned into a story of innovation and hope.
For years, Tuiyo Dairy battled rising electricity costs just to keep their milk cool. Their monthly bill would climb as high as KES 150,000, an amount that strained their operations and slowed their ambitions to grow. That burden was lifted just two months ago when through a partnership with Baridi, the cooperative installed a solar-powered Bulk Milk Chiller (BMC), equipped with Thermal Cooling Technology courtesy of their supply partner, Inficold of India.
On April 15, Tuiyo Dairy held a launch event to celebrate this new chapter. Mr. Paul, the cooperative’s manager, proudly guided guests through the facility, showcasing the new Baridi BMC. With genuine excitement, he shared the impact the system had already made. “Our latest electricity bill was just KES 1,800,” he said, “We’re saving over KES 148,000 every month. It’s a game changer for us.”
What makes Baridi’s solution stand out isn’t just the use of solar power. It’s the addition of Thermal Cooling Technology, a breakthrough that allows the system to keep cooling milk consistently – even through the night or during cloudy days – without relying on the electricity grid. Few companies in East Africa offer similar thermal storage capabilities integrated with solar-powered cooling.
For the team at Tuiyo, the new system has transformed daily life at the dairy. Fresh milk collected from farmers is now quickly chilled using the BMC before being transferred to their larger 3,200-litre cooler. Faster chilling means improved cooling efficiency, the ability to handle even larger volumes with ease, and better quality milk! Today, Tuiyo collects around 3,000 litres of milk daily, and there’s excitement in the air about growing those numbers even further.
But this success story didn’t happen overnight, and it wasn’t easy. Like many cooperatives, Tuiyo faced a major hurdle: the cost of acquiring such advanced technology. Baridi works hand-in-hand with local banking partners to secure asset financing to the dairies that makes these sorts of investments possible.
For Tuiyo, the dream became reality through the support of Co-operative Bank of Kenya and Shell Foundation through the “Harvesting Green Energy for Smallholder Farmers” initiative. Together, they helped finance the project, allowing Tuiyo Dairy to access the off-grid Chiller through a soft loan, offered at a lowered interest rates, with terms friendly to farmers’ realities. Instead of being overwhelmed by upfront costs, the cooperative now enjoys the benefits immediately while repaying slowly and sustainably.
The transformation at Tuiyo Dairy is more than just cooler milk or smaller bills. It’s a glimpse into what the future of farming in Kenya can look like, where technology, smart partnerships, and community spirit come together to open new doors. With Baridi’s Solar and Thermal Cooling Technology, Tuiyo Dairy isn’t just surviving. They’re thriving.