Rural youth employment through transitional beekeeping: In Jimma Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Beekeeping is an interesting off farm practice for low-resource people that provide employment opportunities to rural youth in developing countries like Ethiopia. The study aimed to improve jobless youth income through beekeeping, create access to profitable honey market and contribute to climate change mitigation. Both purposive and random sampling procedure was used to select sample beekeeper and study area. It is case study data on 105 rural youths sampled from two districts and two kebele administrations representing traditional beekeeping farming in Jima Zone of Ethiopia. Descriptive statistics used to analyze quantitative data collected whereas on spot analysis also used to analyze qualitative data such as text data from interview transcripts. The results show that introduced transitional chefeka hive contributed significantly to the youths’ employment that relief them from dependency and low self-esteem in the community. On average hive productivity was increased from 6kg to 17.4 kg per hive and revenue generated encouraged the groups increase colony number in double fold and earn about US 6828.69 from honey and beeswax in one year. Moreover, accumulated revenue inclined them to start other income source activity besides beekeeping enterprise. Moreover, youth were found to be significantly more aware and responsible to mitigate recurrent climate change. Therefore, development interventions had better give emphasis to capacitate bee extension support system.