Zambia: Dairy farmer uses milking machines to avoid milk losses due to COVID-19

| March 7, 2022

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It’s four o’clock in the morning and a bell rings loudly in the semi-darkness. The bell signals that the work day has started and it’s time to milk the cows. Mrs. Mambwe is the owner of the cows and as always, she is already awake and ready to join the workers in her farm’s milking bay. As she approaches the milking bay, she notices that only four out of her 10 workers have reported for work. To her dismay, everyone tests positive for COVID-19, including herself. The farm needs to be temporarily closed. She says: “This resulted in a huge loss for my business, and most of the milk produced up until that point ended up going to waste. I thank God because no one died. Everyone recovered and has since been vaccinated against COVID-19.” But the incident taught Mrs. Mambwe a lesson. She doesn’t want her business disrupted again by COVID-19. So she purchased milking machines to ease work on the farm and avoid disrupting milk production for any reason.

It’s four o’clock in the morning and a bell rings loudly in the semi-darkness. The bell signals that the work day has started and it’s time to milk the cows. Martha Mambwe is the owner of the cows and, as always, she is already awake and ready to join the workers in her farm’s milking bay. 

As she approaches the milking bay, she notices that only four out of her 10 workers have reported for work. She asks Halubobya Moono, one of the workers, where the others are.

Mr. Moona explains: “Madam, Peter and Given are complaining of a sore throat and headache. Misinzo and Cheelo have a high temperature, while Beene and Beenzu have flu and are complaining that they can’t smell anything.” 

He adds, “I’m also feeling a sore throat developing. I have body pains too, but I think I’ll manage to milk the animals.”

The feedback is not pleasant to Mrs. Mambwe, a hardworking dairy farmer in Turnpike village in the Chikankata district in Zambia’s Southern Province. She started dairy farming 15 years ago with only five cows—today she has 102. 

Today, 82 cows need milking and she wonders how it will be possible with only six workers, including herself and her husband. 

She says, “I don’t think we will finish in good time. I am worried for the health of my workers too. I just assume their sickness is a result of the weather.”

Mrs. Mambwe isn’t feeling well either, but she doesn’t suspect it’s COVID-19. She brushes it off as fatigue. 

She says, “I promise to check on the workers soon after milking to see if I should take them to the nearby clinic. I also woke up with a headache and pain in the chest.”  

Six years ago, Mrs. Mambwe joined the dairy co-operative in Chikankata, about four kilometres from her village. The co-operative has a deal with Parmalat Zambia to supply 20,000 litres of milk each week. This is good money for the farmers and especially for Mrs. Mambwe, as she has the largest herd of all the co-operative members. 

She says: “I supply 5,000 litres of milk each day. I also reserve 100 litres of milk to sell to the community. I also keep 25 litres for the workers, 10 litres for my family, and 50 litres in the churn to turn into sour milk,” which is a popular fermented milk that is often added to local cuisine.

It takes two hours longer than usual for Mrs. Mambwe, her husband, and the four workers to milk the cows. After eight hours, the milk tank is ready for delivery to the co-operative shop.

Mrs. Mambwe explains: “My husband always drives our truck and I join him to sign the milk delivery book at the co-operative. I also go to the bank to deposit or withdraw money for my business.” 

After delivering the milk, Mrs. Mambwe and her husband rush back to check on the workers. Their situation has worsened and two have developed breathing problems. She rushes them to the clinic. 

She explains, “Tests show that they have tested positive for COVID-19. I didn’t expect this, but I will make sure that everyone on my farm is tested for COVID-19.”

To her dismay, everyone tests positive for COVID-19, including Mrs. Mambwe. The farm needs to be temporarily closed. 

She says: “Every family within the farm isolated themselves. My husband quickly notified the chairman of the co-operative about our predicament. We won’t be able to supply milk because we tested positive for COVID-19.”

Since recovering, Mrs. Mambwe has reflected on the whole situation. 

She says: “This resulted in a huge loss for my business, and most of the milk produced up until that point ended up going to waste. I thank God because no one died. Everyone recovered and has since been vaccinated against COVID-19.”

But the incident taught Mrs. Mambwe a lesson—she doesn’t want her business disrupted again by COVID-19. So she purchased milking machines to ease work on the farm and avoid disrupting milk production for any reason. 

She says: “I am yet to install pipes to move the milk from the milking bay to the tank at the gate to enable the co-operative to collect and transport the milk from the farm without any human labour involved.”

She adds: “I now hold weekly meetings with the workers on COVID-19 and I always emphasize the need to quickly seek medical attention should one feel unwell. It is also important for dairy farmers, their workers, and their families to get vaccinated.”

This resource was supported with the aid of a grant from The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) implementing the Green Innovation Centre project.

Photo: Kesia A. Kaaya feeds her cow in her compound in Valeska village near Arusha on October 7, 2013. Credit: Frederic Courbet for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.