Abstract
Beekeeping is a long-standing practice in the rural communities of Ethiopia and appears as ancient history of the country. A three–part assessment and diagnostic study (Livelihood systems assessment, integrated honeybee management needs assessment and diagnostic survey) was undertaken from 2006-2008 in Tigray, Ethiopia to identify market and technological constraints facing the honey sub sector and asses bee pests and the control measures taken. Information was gathered through PRA, interview with key informants and integrated honeybee management diagnostic survey in the rural areas. The assessment and diagnostic activities were undertaken in six zones (Western, North western, Central, Eastern, Southern and Southeastern zones of the region). One hundred nineteen beekeepers were randomly selected. Information on the adoption of new technology, availability of honeybee pests, average annual harvest of honey, honeybee pest controlling measures, market and technological constraints etc. were sought from the beekeepers. Honey yield was markedly different for the traditional and modern hives. On average, it was about 8-15 kg/hive and 20-30 kg/hive from the traditional and modern hives respectively. Lack of adequate bee forages, poor market, lack of trained development agents, inadequate government support, bee pests and inadequate training are mainly the problems facing the honey sub sector in the region. There are different kinds of bee pests and predators. Honey is harvested twice a year. From this study it was realized that almost all beekeeping practices are traditional except little intervention with improved beekeeping practices. Key words: Beekeeping, Bee management, Beehive, Tigray.
Highlights
Beekeeping is a long-standing practice in the rural communities of Ethiopia and appears as an ancient history of the country (Ayalew and Gezahegn, 1991)
Besides poor marketing conditions the main reason is that about 80 per cent of the total Ethiopian honey production goes in to the local Tej-preparation, a honey wine, which consumed as national drink in large quantities (Hartmann, 2004)
3.1 Honey marketing and quality 45.7 per cent of the bee keepers households responded “Yes” for the question “is bee keeping a major source of cash income supporting the family livelihood ?” and the majority (54.3 per cent) “No”. This suggests that beekeeping is not a major source of cash income for many of the farmers but as a supportive income to meet their demand for cash to pay debts and for their living conditions
Summary
Beekeeping is a long-standing practice in the rural communities of Ethiopia and appears as an ancient history of the country (Ayalew and Gezahegn, 1991). Beekeeping is an environmentally friendly and non-farm business activity that has immense contribution to the economies of the society and to a national economy as whole. Ethiopia has a huge natural resource base for honey production and other hive products, and beekeeping is traditionally a well established household activity in almost all parts of the country. The benefit from the sub sector to the nation as well as to the farmers, traders, processors and exporter is not satisfactory (Beyene and David, 2007). Beekeeping as a business is a resent development in Ethiopia. Honey is highly commercialized and its market surplus accounts for over 90 per cent of the total harvest.
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