Leaders urged to preserve sheanut

Feb 03, 2010

A BEE-keeping expert has appealed to northern Uganda which has sheanut trees to preserve the plant because it is facing extinction.

By Wokorach Oboi

A BEE-keeping expert has appealed to northern Uganda which has sheanut trees to preserve the plant because it is facing extinction.

Adolph Bagonza, the director and trainer of Kabarole Bee-keepers Association, said the trees were used by bees to produce honey.

“It is unfortunate that the sheanut tree common in northern Uganda is facing extinction. Authorities need to do something to stop the deforestation of this tree,” Bagonza said.
The sheanut tree that is found in Acholi, Lango, West Nile and Teso sub-regions is known for the oil squeezed out of the dried and fried nuts.

The fruits are eaten while the extracts of the nectar that attracts the bees, is said to be raw material used in the manufacture of expensive perfumes.
However, the tree that grows wild is facing extinction by charcoal burners.

Bagonza said besides the sheanut tree, Kitgum district had other varieties of plants which attract bees that should also be preserved.

He added that the area had the potential to produce honey on a large scale.

He was speaking after training 174 bee-keepers from Kitgum and Lamwo at Kitgum Core Teacher’s College last week. The training was organised by Kitlam Bee-keepers Co-operative Society.

Closing the training, the deputy resident district commissioner, Sylvester Opira, urged bee-keepers to diversify their farming so that they could earn more income through other means.

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