Bees for Development Journal 129 December 2018
9th National Honey Week and 1st Apiculture Congress Biryomumaisho Dickson, Executive Director TUNADO and Birungi Phionah, Programme Manager TUNADO, Kampala, Uganda Photos © TUNADO
It is now a tradition for TUNADO (The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation) to organise National Honey Week in August, and this year’s event took the theme Doing beekeeping as a business. This was selected by stakeholders needing to move on from small-scale subsistencelevel beekeeping, to beekeeping as a business. Honey Week focused on creating awareness of business opportunities to develop successful apiculture enterprises, BEE 2 BEE business links, providing valuable information on market, production, value addition, different technologies, products and services in the apiculture sector, as well as showcasing products to the public. We were delighted that the Prime Minister of Uganda, Rt Hon Dr Ruhakana Rugunda opened Honey Week. He pledged Government commitment to provide an enabling environment, and we have been informed that Apiculture Policy is to be discussed by the Ministry of Agriculture Cabinet on 19 January 2019. During Honey Week the Prime Minister extended the contracts of nine companies exhibiting good business cases under Bee Diverse Matching Facility.
Holding a bottle of mead is the Prime Minister of Uganda, Rt Hon Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, inspecting exhibition stalls during the Opening Ceremony of Honey Week
Thanks to Bees for Development enabling us to attend the UK National Honey Show, we used the knowledge gained to fit our Ugandan context, and this Honey Week presented a “hive of activities”. TUNADO organised also the First Apiculture Congress on 27 and 28 August to provide a platform for scholars, scientists and stakeholders to share their findings on how to improve the sector. It was interesting to see scientists and beekeepers presenting their latest research and experience, and importantly, tackling issues of the environment and inclusion of people with disabilities in beekeeping programmes. The Actions of the Congress can be read at www.beesfordevelopment.org/resource-centre
Winners TUNADO awarded winners of the best apiary enterprise challenge. It took three months to select the winners. Participants competed at regional level under different categories: best beekeeper, best processor, and best equipment maker. There were four sub-categories under each category: male, female, youth and special needs – persons with disability and refugees.
In white overcoats bearing TUNADO logos, Honey Week judges at work (left to right) Ms Alice Kangave, Principal Entomologist, MAAIF; Mr Julius Peter Komakech, Principal Entomologist, Gulu District Local Government; Mr John Walugembe, Chairperson Federation for Young Entrepreneurs-Uganda; Mr Sam Karuhanga, Uganda Export Promotion Board 3
