ENHANCING INCOME
DOES BEEKEEING ENHANCE RURAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN BOTSWANA? O Thelo and N
V Sebina
JOYCE LEPUTU
Joyce P Lepetu,
Botswana, the beekeeping section reported 222 individual beekeepers with 232 colonies, 85 beekeeping clubs with 86 colonies, 40 government demonstration apiaries with 97 colonies and 16 beekeeping groups with 24 bee colonies. Table 1 shows that 73 bee colonies produced 2,578 kg of comb honey, which generated sales of BWP36,930 (US$4,560; €3,363) during the honey flow period of October 2000 to July 2001. Table 2 lists the main problems encountered by by the beekeepers
PHOTOS
«
A case study of Gaborone region In
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;
red
Table 1. Honey production inventory, October 2000 to July 2001 Name
No of
colonies
(47 beekeepers interviewed)
Average kg of}
Price
Sales
honey
per kg
(BWP)
harvested
honey|
(BWP)
Kg
of}
per hive
Individual beekeepers
47
Beekeeping clubs
19
Government apiaries
Total
1,741
37
Table 2. Problems for Gaborone region beekeepers
Problem Robbed by humans
Attack by bee pirate (insect predator) 15
26,118
Absconding Lack of management skills
7
487
350
25
35
15
10
7,312
3,500
2,578
36,930
Above right: A clay house provides shade for up to 40 top-bar hives Below: Traditional grass thatched, clay houses are built from local materials and are good for shading hives in hot semi-arid areas like Botswana
2|
% 11
15]
32
6]
12
37 | 78
Absconding by drought effects
O|
0
Insufficient bee forage
4|
9
33]
70
6]
13
25|
53
Insufficient visits by beekeeping personnel
Attack by wax moth
73
No of beekeepers}
Attack by ants
The whole article Potential of the beekeeping industry enhancing rural household incomes in Botswana is on the \nformation Centre of the BfD website
