Abstract
The present study was conducted in Jigjiga zone of Somali regional state. The study intended to assess the challenges, limitations and opportunities existing in the area for honeybee production. 50 respondents were interviewed from three districts (20 from Jigjiga, 15 from Awbare and 15 from Kebribeyah). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 10.0 version software and the results were interpreted and presented using Descriptive Statistics. Based on the results of this survey, all the three types of honeybee production systems were identified, namely: Traditional, Movable comb top-bar and modern honey bee production systems. Beekeeping in the study areas was dominantly a man’s occupation (100%). The main Honeybee flora compositions of the study area were sunflower, maize and other flowering plants. Based on the result of this study, the major challenges were high cost of modern hive, lack of bee forage, pests and predators, lack of water, honeybee diseases, marketing problems, lack of honey storing facilities. The opportunities for beekeeping in the study area were the presence of numerous wild honeybee colonies and high demand of honey. There is no extension service from governmental sectors but some training for few farmers from NGOs.
Highlights
Ethiopia is known for its tremendous variation of agro-climatic conditions and biodiversity which favored the existence of diversified honeybee flora and huge number of honeybee colonies [1]
Ethiopia is leading in Africa in honey production and in beeswax production
This study identified a lot of bottlenecks, like Lack modern hive, lack of improved technologies, lack of institutional support, seasonal fluctuation of honey bee flora, occurrence of drought etc
Summary
Ethiopia is known for its tremendous variation of agro-climatic conditions and biodiversity which favored the existence of diversified honeybee flora and huge number of honeybee colonies [1]. The diversified agro climatic conditions of the country create environmental conditions conducive for the growth of over 7000 species of flowering plants of which most are bee plants [2]. It has the largest bee population in Africa with over 10 million bee colonies, out of which about 5 to 7.5 million are estimated to be hived while the remaining exists in the wild [3,4]. The total bee wax production estimates about 3,800 tons per year Such an amount puts the country 4th in beeswax production worldwide. Thousands of households are engaged in “tej” making in almost all urban areas; hundreds of the processors are emerging and exporters are flourishing which indicate the role of the sub-sector in employment generation [9]
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