Bee keepers want cabinet to pass National Apiculture policy

By Shamim Saad

Bee keepers want cabinet to pass the National Apiculture Policy so as to increase production and marketing of large quantities of quality hive products.

Speaking at hotel Africana, at a National awareness workshop of the proposed Apiculture policy for Uganda, Jackson Jurua the chairman Board of Directors at The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organization (TUNADO) said, to promote Uganda's honey and other hive products in the region and internationally, they need the National Apiculture policy.

“Policy engagement and advocacy will offer interactive reflection space for the effective coordination of collective policy engagements by stakeholders on apiculture issues with state and non-state development agencies,” Jurua said.

He appealed to all development partners to pool resources and push for the enactment of the Apiculture policy and other related laws to assist standardization of Ugandan honey to meet international standards.

“Many people including policy makers are not aware that bees play a crucial role in pollinating coffee therefore it is clear they play a significant part in the bumper harvest,” he noted.

Bosco Okello the Chief Executive Officer at ApiTrade Africa Company Limited said, there were thousands of subsistence beekeepers producing 14,000 metric tonnes annually out of the potential of 500,000 metric tonnes, adding that the stumbling block is the lack of policy because it is difficult to regulate without a policy.

“We have the potential and the only thing we need to work on is the policy that will help us move forward,” he said.

He revealed that realistic average harvest per committed beekeeper was approximately 50kgs although other farmers may harvest up to one ton.

TUNADO organized regional and National MSP in 2012 and continues in 2013 with support from FAO, Environmental Alert, SNV, Swiss contact, Oxfam, bees for development to address constraints in the sector.

The Swiss contact has supported 22 honey inspectors who have been trained by UNBS to monitor quality honey and bees for development and a simplified version of the National training manual have been developed.

With support from SNV and Bees for Development, Honey week concept was initiated and has now become an annual event supported by all Development partners interested in the honey sector value chain……………