TEN SOUTH AFRICANS LANDS IN DAR TO ACQUIRE APICULTURE SKILLS -

The Director of the Department of Forestry and Beekeeping in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Deusdedith Bwoyo (first right) welcoming a group of bee experts from South Africa upon their arrival in Dodoma Capital City yesterday Morning.

The Director of the Department of Forestry and Beekeeping in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Deusdedith Bwoyo (first left) gives a brief orientation session to the beekeeping experts from South Africa.

A group of beekeeping experts from South Africa paying a study tour at the Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TFS)’s Beekeeping Centre in Manyoni, Singida Region.

A DELEGATION of ten experts from the South Africa’s (SA) beekeeping sector has jetted into the country for a special tour to acquire practical skills and expertism over the apiculture sector from their counterparts in Tanzania.

Arrived yesterday morning in Dodoma Capital City, the visitors were greeted with a special welcoming event at Mtumba’s government city by their hosts, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

Among others, the visitors have arrived in the country to learn over several aspects pertaining to the beekeeping sector, including production of apiaries as well as on how professional to prevent and control insect pests in beekeeping.

Speaking to this publication yesterday shortly after the arrival of the guests, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Deputy Permanent Secretary (PS) Commissioner Benedict Wakulyamba unveiled that the South Africans are in the country for a strategic tour which focuses to initiate dialogue and further strengthening cooperation between Tanzania and South Africa, especially in the area of trade in bee products, beekeeping technologies and research.

“We, Tanzania, today are very delightful to receive our friends from SA who have decided to land into our country to exchange their beekeeping experiences with us. We’re looking forward that their stay in the country will help to open a fresh chapter through which the two countries will be working closely to improve several areas of the apiculture sector,” he said.

For his part, the Director of the Department of Forestry and Beekeeping in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Deusdedith Bwoyo, observed that the development communicating a doubt-free message that Tanzania was curving own niche in the continental beekeeping sector.

“The visitors are coming from one of the South Africa’s Province, and have opted Tanzania as their learning destination after being attracted on how best the country is handling and developing the beekeeping sector,” he informed.

And the Director added: “In South Africa we have been told that they have the capacity to produce 2000 tons per year whereby the required honey is at 4000 tons per year. In Tanzania, our producing capacity current stands at 32,691 tons per year and we use almost 90 percent of that honey in the country”

Among the key issues, Bwoyo said the South Africans are in the country to learn on how possible they can heighten honey production in their country, but also the patriotic mechanism to motivate their people to adopt vast use of honey as it is the case in Tanzania.

Speaking on behalf of others, the leader of the delegate from South Africa, who is the Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in the North West of South Africa, Zakaria Thupi Mokgathlha, said that Tanzania is a country that has made great strides in the area of beekeeping.

“Basically, we have been very much impressed with the sucessful manner in which Tanzania is organising the country’s beekeeping sector and thus, we have decided to come and learn so that we can absorb vital knowledge to help us strengthen the sector in our country, ” Mokgathlha expressed.

After arried in Dodoma Capitals yesterday, the visitors later on visited the Manyoni-based Tanzania Forest Service Agency (TFS)’s Beekeeping Offices, as well as the Agondi Bee Sanctuary (ABS), where they received education on the best way to raise and process bee products, especially honey.

As per the visitor’s one- week long learning tour schedule, they are expecting to visit Tabora Region, whereby they’ll have an ample opportunity to learn several key issues at the Tabora-based Beekeeping Training Institute (BTI).

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.