Govt calls for responsible agrochemical use to protect bees
“Indiscriminate use of agrochemicals is killing the bees," said Rwamirama.
A picture showing how the bees build their home in the hive during a training in Elogona Farmers Limited Kyambisi village, Kakonge, sub-county Nakasongola district. (Photos by Wilfred Sanya)
Prossy Nandudu
Journalist @New Vision
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As Uganda joins the rest of the world to celebrate World Bee Day, the Government has urged farmers to use agrochemicals responsibly in a bid to protect the country’s bee population.
The call was made by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Bright Rwamirama, during an interview ahead of the national celebrations for World Bee Day, set for May 20 at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories in Kawanda.
“Indiscriminate use of agrochemicals is killing the bees. The danger with that is that we are reducing the population of pollinators, and yet the bees are important in maintaining the ecosystem and the environment,” he said.
He explained that failure to preserve the bee population could derail the government’s commercial farming agenda aimed at increasing household income, as pollinators play a crucial role in crop production.
State Minister for Animal Husbandry Bright Rwamirama while addressing a press conference regarding the International day for bees at Media Centre May 15, 2025.
“As we embrace commercial farming, it means we have a very huge population opening up land; therefore, we need to increase the population of the pollinators. As a ministry responsible, we are looking at producing even more queens, multiplying them so that we can have more bees,” he said.
Other interventions the ministry is promoting to conserve bee populations include mass sensitisation on the responsible use of agrochemicals, environmental conservation, among others.
Uganda has the potential to earn nearly sh288 billion annually from products such as propolis, honey and beeswax, if the sector is fully exploited. The country has an installed hive capacity of about 2.5 million.
World Bee Day was established by the United Nations in 2017 following a proposal by the Republic of Slovenia, a country with a long-standing tradition of beekeeping.
The date, May 20, was chosen in honour of Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern beekeeping, who was born on this day in 1734.
The day serves to recognise the vital role bees and other pollinators play in maintaining ecosystems, supporting agriculture, and ensuring food security.