Honey production: Uganda yet to fully realise potential
Jan 27, 2009
<b>By John Kasozi and Joshua Kato</b><br><br>UGANDA has a production potential of over 500,000 metric tonnes of honey annually, but produces only 5,000 metric tonnes. Ugandan honey, if well produced, is rated as one of the best in the world. In Uganda,
By John Kasozi and Joshua Kato
UGANDA has a production potential of over 500,000 metric tonnes of honey annually, but produces only 5,000 metric tonnes. Ugandan honey, if well produced, is rated as one of the best in the world. In Uganda, honey is produced in Bushenyi, Bugisu, Nakasongola, Kabarole and West Nile region.
In 2005, the total world honey production was valued at 1.2m metric tones with a market value of around $452m. Most of this honey was, however, consumed locally, in countries where it was produced.
Honey from African countries has slowly but surely found its way onto the lucrative European market. However, low quantities are affecting these markets. Uganda, for example, had a contract to supply honey to Germany, but she failed to meet the quantities.
In Africa, Zambia is the leading exporter of honey, followed by Ethiopia. According to Gezahegene Tadesse, from the ministry of agriculture and rural development in Ethiopia, last year, the country produced 43,000 tonnes of honey, raising an income of over $62m.
According to Tadesse, the Ethiopian success was a result of adopting better skills many years ago. “The honey sector developed because we worked through cooperatives. We were able to buy better and expensive equipment that could not be acquired individually,†he says.
In Zambia, it was not only cooperation among bee-keepers but also rigorous government involvement. In Tropical Forest Products Ltd, one of the leading honey exporters, bee-keepers hold 50% of the shares. Because they are directly involved in production, processing and export, the bee-keepers strive to maintain a very high quality and quantity. This company alone exported 54 tonnes of honey to Europe in 2005.
Uganda needs to adopt either the Zambian or the Ethiopian system if honey production is to thrive. Bee-keepers should stop working in isolation, if they are to improve on both quality and quantity.
According to Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries officials, this is what they are doing now. “About 1,2 million beekeepers are active, with 700,000 beehives countryside colonised,†says Alice Kangave, the principal entomologist for apiculture in the ministry.
“This constitutes only 1% of the envisaged potential of which 4,500 metric tonnes are exported annually. About 1,800 metric tonnes are exported to the European market. This is far below the expected supply,†said Kangave.
“Uganda is among the three countries in Africa allowed to export honey to the European Union. In that respect, one factory at EU standards for bee products was installed in Arua.†But quality deliveries to this factory is not effective.
“Many bee-keepers lack the necessary skills to effectively produce honey,†says Eliezer Magezi of Bunyangabu Beekeeping Community. He says that most of the bee-keepers in Uganda are still traditional and lack resources to acquire better equipment.
“Buying the equipment necessary for maximum production of honey is not easy,†says a farmer from Bushenyi.
Many farmers still use the traditional log hives, while others use traditional improved hives commonly called the top bar.
Processing of honey is still a problem. In Ethiopia, most of the honey is processed in established factories. In Uganda, most of the processing is done crudely. Only Bee Natural Products can boast of a factory worthy writing home about. Poor processing has affected markets. Some bee-keepers still burn off the bees before harvesting because they do not have protective gear.
Uganda had a vote of confidence in October, when an international honey expo was organised here.
More than seven African countries from east and central Africa attended the three-day conference, which focused on “promoting trade and investments in African honey industryâ€.
Api-Expo Africa, a new initiative, was formed to promote trade in honey and other bee products from Africa to help exploit other markets.
“A good number of critical steps for the last 10 years have been undertaken to promote the industry. Between 2000 and 2001, the government with the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat, hired an international consultant who proposed a baseline survey of the bee keeping industry,†Kangave recalled. But these steps need to be enhanced further.
The 2002 report has been used as a benchmark for measuring developments in the sector.
Kangave observed that in 2003, the Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation was put in place by the Government. The Office of the Prime Minister was mandated as a national apex body for beekeepers, traders and other stakeholders.
“The roles of the organisation are lobbying and advocating beekeeping promotion and development. It looks at mobilising and sensitising beekeepers and other stakeholders,†said Kangave.
The organisation also mobilises resources for bee keeping promotion and development and planning, implementation and managing beekeeping projects.
Kangave noted that the office of the commissioner for livestock health and entomology was re-designated as the national competent authority for honey and other bee products.
UGANDA has a production potential of over 500,000 metric tonnes of honey annually, but produces only 5,000 metric tonnes. Ugandan honey, if well produced, is rated as one of the best in the world. In Uganda, honey is produced in Bushenyi, Bugisu, Nakasongola, Kabarole and West Nile region.
In 2005, the total world honey production was valued at 1.2m metric tones with a market value of around $452m. Most of this honey was, however, consumed locally, in countries where it was produced.
Honey from African countries has slowly but surely found its way onto the lucrative European market. However, low quantities are affecting these markets. Uganda, for example, had a contract to supply honey to Germany, but she failed to meet the quantities.
In Africa, Zambia is the leading exporter of honey, followed by Ethiopia. According to Gezahegene Tadesse, from the ministry of agriculture and rural development in Ethiopia, last year, the country produced 43,000 tonnes of honey, raising an income of over $62m.
According to Tadesse, the Ethiopian success was a result of adopting better skills many years ago. “The honey sector developed because we worked through cooperatives. We were able to buy better and expensive equipment that could not be acquired individually,†he says.
In Zambia, it was not only cooperation among bee-keepers but also rigorous government involvement. In Tropical Forest Products Ltd, one of the leading honey exporters, bee-keepers hold 50% of the shares. Because they are directly involved in production, processing and export, the bee-keepers strive to maintain a very high quality and quantity. This company alone exported 54 tonnes of honey to Europe in 2005.
Uganda needs to adopt either the Zambian or the Ethiopian system if honey production is to thrive. Bee-keepers should stop working in isolation, if they are to improve on both quality and quantity.
According to Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries officials, this is what they are doing now. “About 1,2 million beekeepers are active, with 700,000 beehives countryside colonised,†says Alice Kangave, the principal entomologist for apiculture in the ministry.
“This constitutes only 1% of the envisaged potential of which 4,500 metric tonnes are exported annually. About 1,800 metric tonnes are exported to the European market. This is far below the expected supply,†said Kangave.
“Uganda is among the three countries in Africa allowed to export honey to the European Union. In that respect, one factory at EU standards for bee products was installed in Arua.†But quality deliveries to this factory is not effective.
“Many bee-keepers lack the necessary skills to effectively produce honey,†says Eliezer Magezi of Bunyangabu Beekeeping Community. He says that most of the bee-keepers in Uganda are still traditional and lack resources to acquire better equipment.
“Buying the equipment necessary for maximum production of honey is not easy,†says a farmer from Bushenyi.
Many farmers still use the traditional log hives, while others use traditional improved hives commonly called the top bar.
Processing of honey is still a problem. In Ethiopia, most of the honey is processed in established factories. In Uganda, most of the processing is done crudely. Only Bee Natural Products can boast of a factory worthy writing home about. Poor processing has affected markets. Some bee-keepers still burn off the bees before harvesting because they do not have protective gear.
Uganda had a vote of confidence in October, when an international honey expo was organised here.
More than seven African countries from east and central Africa attended the three-day conference, which focused on “promoting trade and investments in African honey industryâ€.
Api-Expo Africa, a new initiative, was formed to promote trade in honey and other bee products from Africa to help exploit other markets.
“A good number of critical steps for the last 10 years have been undertaken to promote the industry. Between 2000 and 2001, the government with the assistance of the Commonwealth Secretariat, hired an international consultant who proposed a baseline survey of the bee keeping industry,†Kangave recalled. But these steps need to be enhanced further.
The 2002 report has been used as a benchmark for measuring developments in the sector.
Kangave observed that in 2003, the Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation was put in place by the Government. The Office of the Prime Minister was mandated as a national apex body for beekeepers, traders and other stakeholders.
“The roles of the organisation are lobbying and advocating beekeeping promotion and development. It looks at mobilising and sensitising beekeepers and other stakeholders,†said Kangave.
The organisation also mobilises resources for bee keeping promotion and development and planning, implementation and managing beekeeping projects.
Kangave noted that the office of the commissioner for livestock health and entomology was re-designated as the national competent authority for honey and other bee products.