Kenya hosts the 3rd International Conference on Apiculture in Tropical Climates

Delegates from 43 countries travelled to Kenya to attend the Conference, held during 5-9 November in the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi. IBRA convened the Conference, and it was hosted by the Government of Kenya and the Organisation of African Unity. Many different aid agencies from throughout the world co-operated in funding delegates to attend, and it was the resulting wide variety of experiences in tropical beekeeping which made the conference so valuable and useful to those taking part.

Kenya was an appropriate country in which to hold the Conference, for in recent years much development in beekeeping has taken place, although there remains great potential for increasing honey production beyond the current level of 10 000 tonnes per year; it is estimated that 80% of Kenya’s land (including some very arid areas) is suitable for beekeeping. Indeed when opening the Conference, the Rt. Hon. W. Odongo Omamo, the Kenya Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, announced a target for the country of 2 million Kenya top-bar hives; at present, most of Kenya’s 100 000 hives are log hives.

Keeping bees in log hives has long been practised in Kenya, and the skilful techniques involved have been passed from generation of fathers to their sons-for traditionally only males could be beekeepers. Recent years have seen the development of the Kenya top-bar hive, which uses up less wood than a traditional log hive and allows easier access to the combs for management and harvesting. The Government of Kenya recognises the importance of beekeeping and provides support, and other countries have also given assistance. Mr Omamo called for a reduction of incidences in which pest control measures kill bees, and cited the case of a problem which Tsetse fly in Lambwe valley that resulted in the use of pesticides which killed all local bees.

Mr Omamo also mentioned that out of the 12 beekeeping co-operatives in Kenya, four were managed by women’s groups, and indeed the role of women in beekeeping was one of the special themes of the Conference. One good example of the success possible with beekeeping in Kenya is the Kibwezi Women’s Beekeeping Cooperative, which was formed in 1981 (with the help of Canadian funding) and is now well established. Members of the project are divided into groups of five, with each group looking after one Kenya top-bar hive. The project now has its own refinery (the women made the bricks for the building and constructed it themselves), and their high quality honey is marketed in Nairobi and Mombasa, where it fetches a good price.

In the section of the Conference devoted to Apiculture and Bee Management Problems in African countries, we heard of beekeeping projects in different areas of Africa encouraging the use of various types of top-bar hive, although many regions still use fixed-comb hives. Many speakers emphasized the need for more information about the biology of African honeybees, and in particular, a definition and understanding of the three types of behaviour: absconding, migration and swarming. African bees are almost entirely free from foulbrood diseases, and Varroa has not yet been detected in sub-Saharan Africa.

African countries were recommended to introduce legislation to prohibit the importation African countries were recommended to introduce legislation to prohibit the importation of honeybees. Later in the week we heard more papers devoted to problems with various diseases in Asia.

Management of Apis mellifera and other honey, although they play an important species of Apis in Asia was discussed, as well as the biology of Africanized bees in part in the production of wax for the world market. South America, and the effects of their continuing spread northwards.

A new topic for this Conference was “Pollination, the protection of bees, and the need for integrated pest management”-at this session apicultural scientists described their detailed research into the pollinatory activity of honeybees, and emphasized the valuable role of honeybees as pollinators of various important crops.

A further section was devoted to the processing and marketing of hive products-some delegates argued in favour of honey and wax as valuable export crops which provide means for developing countries to obtain the hard currency they require, while others felt that the food value of honey should be emphasized and beekeeping must be encouraged primarily as source of food for home consumption. Very few African countries have exported honey, although they play an important part in the production of wax for the world market.

Round-table discussion groups worked to formulate Resolutions for the Conference; Resolutions are not just “good intentions” but provide a way of “summing- up” the Conference, and are subsequently useful when approaching official organizations with requests for aid and funding. By the end of the week, lectures on almost all aspects of tropical beekeeping had been presented, but much valuable debate and exchange of ideas also took place outside the Conference hall, and additional papers, slides and videos about tropical beekeeping were given at impromptu evening sessions. Some of the information presented will be given in future editions of the Newsletter, and the proceedings from the Conference will be published by IBRA later in 1985.

Kenya National Beekeeping Station

On the Wednesday of Conference week, the Kenya National Beekeeping Station was officially opened. The station is situated in the lush Ngong hills, on the outskirts of Nairobi, and is the headquarters for the Beekeeping Branch of the Kenya Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. 120 staff are employed at the station, which comprises offices, laboratories, library, workshops for the manufacture of Kenya top-bar hives and other equipment, and demonstration apiaries. The excellent facilities available at the station will surely help the further development of beekeeping throughout Kenya.