Bees for Development Journal 112
PHOTO © AUGUSTIN KONDA KU MBUTA
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
Beekeepers from the Nkunku Bwiki Project
DR CONGO From 2008-2010 I was involved in providing technical assistance to beekeepers in Mbanza Ngungu Region as part of a Belgian development programme. This allowed me to see the ecological disaster caused by deforestation throughout Bas-Congo Province. This represents a significant obstacle to the development of beekeeping: 30–50 years ago there were many forests around our villages providing people with many resources. Most of these forests were created through the traditional culture of Nkunku (reafforestation involving scattering of a variety of tree and creeper seeds in a certain area and protecting them from livestock, fire and felling for 10–15 years. The process is managed by the clan chief and is remembered by the older villagers). The tradition has given rise to the Nkunku Bwiki Project. The aim is to produce money from beekeeping and thus interest land owners in creating and maintaining the forests. Forest owners enrolled in the project receive honey and cash to the value of 25% of the honey produced by the project, and are discouraged from selling trees for charcoal. The project began in February 2011. Beekeeping had not been practised in the areas of Ngeba, Nselo and Wungu. I am the co-ordinator of Songa Nzila IFD, based in Kilueka, which has introduced
beekeeping. Two qualified beekeepers and three apprentices work with forest owners or their representatives.
Extracting honey at Kilueka 14
In 2011, six villages were enrolled in the project with a total of 120 hives. 2012 saw 84 colonies in 120 hives. In 2013 there were 11 villages in 12 forests with 183 hives. By 2014 153 more hives are being made and installed in 20 forests, in 18 villages bringing the total number of hives to 336. In September, 15-18 beekeepers were trained at Kilueka, the participants chosen by the owners of the Nkunkus. Each will receive two hives to install in their own Nkunku woodlands, or they will start planting their own. Honey is collected then extracted from the comb at Kilueka. The honey harvest in 2012 was 580 litres and 740 litres in 2013: 2014 is still being collected. The main harvest takes place between July and September with a second, smaller harvest between December and March. We extract beeswax but cannot sell it. We could recover beeswax from beekeepers in Kasangulu, Nzungu and Mbanza if a market was available. Augustin Konda ku Mbuta
