News

ETHIOPIA

Action for Development

Action for Development (AFD) has been promoting beekeeping in its project areas. Farmers were provided with a total of 106 clay hives and 41 hive shades. 22 sets of wooden frames and accessories were supplied. A travelling seminar was organised for 25 beekeepers to visit the apiary at Soddo Farmers Training Centre.

As a result beekeeping is gaining momentum. There are 57 beekeepers in nine areas using four types of hive: a German design of top-bar hive made from bricks, wooden top-bar hives, clay hives and traditional hives. Yield per hive has increased by up to 15 kg and in 1999 beekeepers associated with the project benefited from 7000 kg of honey. Many farmers can obtain more income from beekeeping than from crop production: up to 2000 Birr (US $250). Diversification of livelihoods is needed to reduce the vulnerability of farmers to calamities. A good example is Bojjago Daddo, a farmer living near Wolayta. He heads a household of ten and has 0.6 hectares of land on which he cultivates various crops. Although diligent, Bojjago could not produce enough food for his household due to drought and other hazards. In very bad seasons the able-bodied members of his household had to migrate to town in search of employment whilst he and the rest of his family had to survive on relief assistance. He began complementing his cropping activities with beekeeping. This has gradually begun to reduce is vulnerability. With assistance from AFD, Bojjago has significantly increased his beekeeping activities. He has improved the mix of his hives, and now has 25 of different types. Last season he harvested 152 kg of honey, raising 1474 Birr (US$184). This additional income allowed him a down payment for the purchase of fertiliser and seed, the purchase of a draught ox, purchase of corrugated iron sheets for the renovation of his house, and payment of school fees for his children. Bojjago is eager to share his newly acquired skills and fortune with his neighbours. He has already trained three of them in the construction of clay hives.

He is determined to further expand his beekeeping in spite of some problems including theft, and attacks on his bees by predators. He says, “I have realised that in terms of return on input of labour and other resources, beekeeping is more rewarding than cropping. This is particularly true in our area, where rainfall is unreliable. I therefore see my future in beekeeping.”

AFD Annual Report 1999

MOZAMBIQUE

Since 1996 the Rural Women Development Association (AMRU) has been promoting beekeeping as a sustainable income source for women. The project has focussed on providing top-bar hives and protective clothing on loan, as well as offering basic training.

Our Association is composed of 55 members, and some have done very well indeed. Last year Maria Codzai harvested 250 kg of honey from her top-bar hives. This honey was sold for US$770, which is about the same as a primary school teacher earns in one year. Maria has the advantage that she is used to bees, having for many years helped her husband with cropping honey from traditional hives. Most beekeepers harvest less than half this amount.

A major problem is providing the hive roof. If the roof is made from metal it is very expensive and is stolen. If made from plastic it easily gets damaged and leaks water, forcing the bees to abscond.

Because of these problems we are encouraging our members to own traditional log hives. These seem a better option: they cost only US$1 compared with US$16 for a top-bar hive, and the traditional hives last for many years compared with only three years for top-bar hives. Therefore, although the harvest from a top-bar hive can be 10 kg compared with 7 kg from a traditional hive, the traditional hive is more profitable because of the lower investment costs.

Traditional beekeeping using log or bark hives is usually a male activity learnt from fathers and grandfathers. During the war in Mozambique many hives were abandoned or destroyed but now that peace is established beekeepers are again taking on more hives.

Beekeepers used to carry their honey to Zimbabwe for sale, but now they are very happy that our project is providing a market.

A problem is that about 50% of the honey has a high moisture content (19%) because beekeepers crop the honey before it is fully ripe. We are starting training on better harvesting techniques and co-ordinating this with a careful selection of the honey bought by the project.

We hope we will see an end to this problem.

Tecla David

PUERTO RICO

Caribbean recovering

In 1998 Hurricane Georges hit the Caribbean.

It was one of the worst hurricanes in the 20th Century. Many trees were destroyed and Mother Nature is only recovering slowly. Since flowers from trees had become scarce, honey production is below normal levels.

Lewis Medina

ZAMBIA

Villagers appeal over threat to forests

Representatives of the forest community of North West Zambia have appealed directly to Vice President, The Right Honourable Lt Gen C Tembo MP to resolve their dispute with the Government's Forestry Department over forest tenure rights and village livelihoods.

International concern about Zambia's traditional beekeepers, village based wood craftsmen and miombo woodlands has been increasing and the issue raised at two major conferences:

- USA: International Association for the Study of Common Property 8th Biennial Conference attended by more than 500 international specialists;

- UK: World Wide Fund for Nature/Forest Stewardship Council conference in London attended by nearly 1,000 NGOs and trade representatives.

Muzama Crafts and North West Bee Products, the well-known community-owned, fair trade companies whose products are independently certified by the UK's Soil Association, are at the centre of the dispute. They featured as day long case studies at the “Alternative trade and ecolabelling in miombo woodlands conference” in June.

Forty representatives from forest communities and environmental organisations joined alternative trade and ecolabelling experts from the miombo region of southern Africa at the conference in Kapombo.

More information ia available at www. miombo.com

Mukula Trust

* Please see the original journal article to see a image of the extent of miombo woodland.

CHILE

In August 2000 the Sixth National Meeting on Beekeeping Science and Technology was held at the Universidad Sutal de Chile in Valdivia. Topics included: honey production, sampling and investigation; the current situation of beekeeping in Chile; relationships between the production and consumption of honey; bee health and technology; and the production of by-products of beekeeping.

Miguel Angel Meira Caamano President of the Organising Committee