UK charity boosts local bee farmers
Jun 24, 2007
HIVES Save Lives Africa, a UK-based charity, is to distribute 4,000 bee hives to farmers in the next three years, Linda Whitby, the project director said.
HIVES Save Lives Africa, a UK-based charity, is to distribute 4,000 bee hives to farmers in the next three years, Linda Whitby, the project director said.
She told reporters at their offices off Musajjaalubwa Road in Mengo that farmers would be selected from the traditional bee keeping districts, reports Ronald Kalyango. .
Whitby, however, noted that farmers from northern Uganda would have a lion’s share “because of their potential in bee keeping.â€
Under the deal, the charity will provide farmers with bee hives at sh95,000 each for a Langstroth type and sh45,000 each for a Kenya Top Bar.
“We also provide farmers with two free sets of protective clothing consisting of veil, overalls, boots and groves. We also provide them with one smoker and four airtight buckets and a five-7 day training course,†she explained.
Brian Mugisha, the programme manager, said after the training, the beneficiaries repay sh1.9m for the cost of 20 bee hives provided on an interest free basis.
The repayment is done over a period of five years.
“Repayments are either made in cash or honey at a value of sh2,000 per kilo,†Mugisha noted.
He said the organisation that depends on donations and proposal writing, never forces farmers to sale their honey to Malaika, a company that Hives Save Lives Africa uses to conduct farmer training.
She told reporters at their offices off Musajjaalubwa Road in Mengo that farmers would be selected from the traditional bee keeping districts, reports Ronald Kalyango. .
Whitby, however, noted that farmers from northern Uganda would have a lion’s share “because of their potential in bee keeping.â€
Under the deal, the charity will provide farmers with bee hives at sh95,000 each for a Langstroth type and sh45,000 each for a Kenya Top Bar.
“We also provide farmers with two free sets of protective clothing consisting of veil, overalls, boots and groves. We also provide them with one smoker and four airtight buckets and a five-7 day training course,†she explained.
Brian Mugisha, the programme manager, said after the training, the beneficiaries repay sh1.9m for the cost of 20 bee hives provided on an interest free basis.
The repayment is done over a period of five years.
“Repayments are either made in cash or honey at a value of sh2,000 per kilo,†Mugisha noted.
He said the organisation that depends on donations and proposal writing, never forces farmers to sale their honey to Malaika, a company that Hives Save Lives Africa uses to conduct farmer training.