BEVAC Moves To Install Ultra Modern Bee-Yards Demo For Stimulating Tanzania’s Apiculture Sector -

By Valentine
Oforo, Dodoma

THE
Beekeeping Value Chain Support (BEVAC) Project has embarked on a robust
initiative for the establishment of demonstration apiaries to serve as key
podium centers for the rolling out of relevant knowledge to the stakeholders
and experts involved in the country’s apiculture sector.

The
timely development shelved to take shape from this month incorporates
constructions of the vital beekeeping facilities within at least 15 districts
of Tanzania Mainland as well as the 4 districts in Pemba island.

An
apiary, also known as a bee yard, is a location where beehives of honey bees
are kept, and usually, such areas are wall-less, roofed structure, similar to a
gazebo which houses hives, or an enclosed structure with an opening that directs
the flight path of the bees.

Giving
an interview to this publication, Deogratius Kimena, the project’s Expert in
Result Monitoring expressed that the initiative which seeks to further improve
performance of the sector is being implemented by Enabel, the Belgian
Development Agency through funds from the European Union (EU).

“Among
others, the envisaged bee-yards are expected to play a meaningful role to help
impart the districts beekeeping officers (DBOs), as well as the beekeepers in
the beneficiary districts with the best recommended beekeeping practices,” he
detailed.

Kimena
named the 15 mainland districts in which the project is going to be implemented
as Kakonko, Kibondo, Kasulu, Uvinza, Tanganyika, Nsimbo, Mlele, Sikonge, Uyui,
Urambo, Kaliua, Kahama-Ushetu, Manyoni-Itigi, Ikungi and Singida.

He
further informed that, apart from the project, BEVAC will this year run a
number of campaigns to disseminate vital training to the majority of beekeepers
to ensure high quality honey is produced which meet the set international market
standards.

“For
example, in Pemba island establishment of new beekeeping reserves is being
prioritized in January with the initial stages including holding community
meetings and meeting with leaders of hosting Shehias,” he added.

Together
with that, Kimena expounded that plans are also afoot to organize an array of
remote coaching of beekeeping SMEs on branding and packaging that continues to
support them to access and meet international markets of bee products.

In more
concerted efforts to spur the sector, the project is working in sync with the
Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources for Tanzania Mainland and Ministry of
Agriculture, Irrigation, Natural Resources and Livestock in Zanzibar to
establish new bee reserve areas in different regions with apiculture potential
across the country.

The
target, according to Kimena, is to ensure that at least a total of 53,527
hectares of forest land is conserved and officially recognized as a beekeeping
reserve area.

Tanzania
stands 14th country for beekeeping in the world and 2nd in Africa with most of
the country’s produced honey and beeswax often exported to Germany, France,
Belgium and Netherlands, Oman, USA, Japan, Botswana, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda,
Congo DRC, Somali and neighboring Kenya.

Moreover,
relevant records depict that the country is currently producing over
138,000tons of honey and 9,200tons of beeswax per year.

Tanzania
holds at least 48.1million hectares of forests, equivalent to 54 percent of the
county’s area, whereby the government reserved forests area is 465 hectares,
including 24 tree plantations,23 natural
environmental conservation areas, and 20 beekeeping reserves.