Kenya bee industry hampered by old methods

Outdated beekeeping methods and misplaced views are holding back the growth of apiculture in Kenya's Rift Valley province. Most farmers in the region view bees as wild insects whose honey can only be obtained from bushes, rather than a source of income that can be kept and nurtured in homesteads, said the provincial beekeeping officer, J. M. Kimani.

Kimani said said the Livestock and Fisheries Development ministry was trying to change farmers' attitudes towards apiculture (bee farming) through a field extension programme, enabling farmers to attend agricultural shows, farmers' exchange visits and demonstration farms.According to the agriculture ministry's annual reports, Rift Valley Province produced 2,023,481 kg of honey in 2005, a 10 per cent decrease from the 2004 production.

In 2004, production had shot up by 24 per cent more than the year before, when only 1,822,283kg were harvested. Of the 19 districts covered in the reports, Samburu, Turkana, Koibatek, Kericho and Bomet have maintained steady growth in honey production.

To encourage farmers to turn to apiculture, the government plans to move in and address the issues affecting farmers. The move would include providing them with protective clothing and modern honey harvesting equipment as well as teaching them harvesting skills.

Though some farmers have complained of the high cost of beekeeping gear, Kimani said there was general resistance to modern beekeeping methods. The traditional method of using hollowed out logs as hives has grown in the province. According to data from the livestock ministry, traditional beehives nearly doubled from 173,774 to 313,418 between 2003 and 2005. Meanwhile, modern hives have increased minimally, reaching 7,386 in 2005.

Kimani identified diminishing land as another factor in the fall of honey production. Acacia trees, a leading source of nectar that bees need to produce honey, are diminishing and increasingly limited to private land, where owners see the insect as a nuisance. He added that policy issues, such as a Kenya Wildlife Service rule that does not allow bee farming in national parks and game reserves, have also worked against campaigns to increase honey production in the province.

Even as the ministry spearheads efforts to boost honey production in the country, Kimani said some recipients of funds abandoned projects as soon as officials left.

"Bees should not be treated differently from other farm animals," the official said. "Every time we visit farmers, we find abandoned apiaries while farmers complain that bees have refused to produce honey," he said. "These insects are not in the business of producing honey for farmers," he said.

Business Daily