Youth told to form groups for govt support on bee farming

By Vivian Agaba               

Youth interested in bee keeping have been advised to form groups to be able to get extensive training and information support from government.

Alfred Obutere, a senior entomologist, ministry of Agriculture, Animal husbandry and fisheries said government has put different youth ventures in place to help them succeed but the youth must avail themselves to gain from such opportunities.

"Government does not deal with individuals in developmental projects because it becomes very expensive. Form organized youth groups as bee keepers and demand for information. Government will give you all the necessary support especially training and information on production of quality honey," he said on Thursday at Kati Kati restaurant in Kampala yesterday during the celebration of the National Honey Week. 

Gadgets used for harvesting and storing of honey that were exhibited during the 6th Annual Honey week celebration at Forest Mall Lugogo on 08/27/2015. Photo by Godiver Asege

  He explained that there is a lot of documented information on bee keeping that bee keepers can use to produce honey on large scale but most of them are not using right channels to access this information thus are lagging behind.
 
Obutere was responding to questions in regard to challenges youth involved in bee keeping face with the  outstanding one being lack of proper information on bee keeping.

Other challenges mentioned include; lack of market for their honey, selfishness and individualism amongst bee farmers that do not want to see others succeed, poor management skills and lack of knowledge about their products.
 
The event organized by Uganda National Apiculture Development Organization (TUNADO), the umbrella organization for honey producers countrywide was attended by over 100 youth countrywide. 

He advised them to form groups, register them under their umbrella body (TUNADO) which government will go through to extend services to them.

Geoffrey Ogwal, a youth from Lira district said he began bee keeping in 2012 but has never harvested any honey.
 
He attributes this to poor management mechanisms because he joined bee keeping without much knowledge and information.

Moses Rugonvu, a youth said there is need for more extension services and advocacy from government to bee keepers at grassroots to boost honey production.

Tania Haidara, country director, Swiss Contact called upon youth to venture into bee keeping as a business that will enable them not only create jobs but also earn thus improving their livelihoods.

Martabell Akoth, Marketing and Exports manager, Bee Natural Uganda said honey is on high demand on both local and international market, but bee keepers need to improve the quality of their honey and increase capacity of honey production to benefit from both markets