Zoom in on Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone lies on the West Coast of Africa. Pockets remain of the rainforest that once covered all but the extreme north-east of the country. Most of the southern part of the country is covered with farm bush and dotted with oil palm bush giving way to wide savannah.

Size

72,000 km², with a coastline of 485 km.

Population

4.5 million.

Climate

Tropical with a single rainy season between May and November.

Main agriculture

Cocoa is the main crop, but since the recent civil cocoa production has been very difficult. Other crops include coffee, palm kernel and ginger.

Honeybees

Apis mellifera adansonii. Beekeepers in Sierra Leone find these bees very productive, highly defensive and frequently absconding.

Beekeeping

In the Northern Province traditional methods of beekeeping are widely practised. Traditional beekeepers use hives made of logs, bark or baskets hung in the forest. Top-bar hives and modified Langstroth hives (designed by the Technology Consultancy Centre, Kumasi, Ghana) were first introduced to Sierra Leone in the late 1980s, and were promoted by a number of projects during that time. Most beekeepers have less than fifteen hives.

It is often asked which bee hive is most appropriate? The answer is that Africa needs a low-technology top-bar hive. I have modified a wooden top-bar hive design to more appropriate mud design which apart from a nails uses materials available from the bush.

So it is affordable for farmers and similar enough to the traditional hive construction method that is easy for Sierra Leoneans to pick up and adapt. With a large-scale programme and a small input of funds for protective clothing and smoker manufacture, high quality honey could be produced from many areas of Sierra Leone using this hive.

Present situation

The nine-year civil war has had serious implications for beekeeping. Since Sierra Leone won the special prize in the Cera Rica Noda Contest (see Beekeeping Association) we should have been active in producing honey to supply the local market.

Also beekeeping encourages an increase in bee populations and thus enhances their role in the pollination of local crops.

The problem of unavailability of funds to facilitate the development of projects in beekeeping is hampering progress in that direction, as most aid agencies are now concentrating their resources on relief supplies for the displaced people.

Melliferous vegetation

Species of Acacia, cashew, Citrus, coconut, Eucalyptus, guava, hibiscus, mango, neem, palm and wild sunflowers and many other native species are significant sources of nectar and pollen for bees.

Production

Honey: the average price is US $3 per kilogram.

Beeswax is used mostly on threads for weaving cotton clothes, batik, candles, and in leather shoe manufacture.

Honeybee diseases

No diseases have been found.

Beekeeping Association

Sierra Leone’s National Agency for Beekeepers was awarded a Bronze medal and an honorary certificate, plus US $500 by Cera Rica Noda Co Ltd Japan in the presentation for the first Beeswax Global Contest in 1999 (reported in B&D 51).

Training

The Njala University College-Newton Link, sponsored by the British Council from 1994 to 1996, sponsored training of trainers and honey hunters. During the training, equipment manufacture and supply was encouraged through workshops, seminars and exhibitions.

Research

Abu Ansumana has been doing research on honeybees and bee hives at the Certificate Training Centre, Njala University College, Freetown.

Support for Projects

In recent years beekeeping has been assisted and promoted by church organisations and the British Council.

Journal

Articles have been published in B&D, the British Council Newsletter, the Conservation Society of Sierra Leone News letter and AGRISIL, the monthly newsletter of FAO's Co-ordination Unit.

Previous B&D articles on Sierra Leone

The sierra Leone Green PawPaw Beeswax Mould B&D 37: 3 News around the World

Number of B&D recipients in Sierra Leone

Fifteen.

We would like to thank Mr Abu Ansumana for providing the information and photographs for this article*

*Please see the original journal article to see these photos