Bee Zaagar - Apiary and Beekeeping News

Bee Keeping, Honey: Is It Malawi's Hidden Treasure?

The Chronicle Newspaper (Lilongwe)
Hopkins Mundango Nyirenda

- Can it take over from tobacco?

June 30, 2005 - It is an undisputable fact that the anti-tobacco lobby in the western world is determined as ever to completely phase out, off the face of the earth, Malawi's main foreign exchange earner - tobacco. This is going to have far reaching consequences for the country that, up to now is yet to identify an acceptable alternative to the crop.

But should Malawians smile when they consider there is a chance to make Honey, the hidden Treasure? HOPKINS MUNDANGO NYIRENDA investigated the prospect and writes:

The government in its diversification drive have suggested many and varied products to replace tobacco like tourism, paprika, cotton, cassava and other crops. But none of the above comes anywhere near to honey which, if properly harnessed, can be the answer to the majority of Malawians and the country since it can indeed bring much needed foreign exchange. This single commodity is currently in short supply because of the low prices of tobacco being fetched of late at the Tobacco Auctions.

Beekeepers and a group of researchers in Nkondezi Village in Nkhata-Bay north have a point to prove to Malawians; that honey can replace tobacco if harnessed properly. They contend that the nectar can fetch much higher prices on the local and international markets than tobacco.

Small Bee-keepers Development and Research Association [SBDARA] is a grouping of researchers established in 1986 which brings together 2,000 clubs, with 4,000 farmers involved in bee-keeping whose aim is to conduct research and help farmers to realize their full potential for harnessing honey to improve on standards which can easily compete on the international market.

According to SBDARA Chief Director John Harawa, bee farming is better than any other farming. He said it helps other horticultural and crop farmers because of the pollination work that bees conduct. He also indicated that even in the conservation of forestry bee keeping helps.

Often the beehives, which are the breeding place for honey, are located in forest reserves.

Said Harawa: "Bee-keeping is an affordable undertaking yet its product is highly profitable. Malawi's honey has got big markets within and outside the country but we are failing to satisfy the market because we can't meet the supply and demand."

The SBDARA Chief said that Malawi's honey has markets in Malaysia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya and United Kingdom, apart from the local markets.

He said the price of 500 grams of honey is MK185 and 1kg is MK370 [US$3], which by far surpasses tobacco, which this season is selling at an average price of US$1 per kg.

The researcher said that the quality of honey demands that it be of a high standard for it to fetch good prices on the international market, especially in the European Union markets that are difficult to penetrate. In order to be able to send Malawi's honey to these markets there needs to be a lot of education on standards.

"Honey with less than 18% water content and without chloramphenicol traces is the one that can be bought on the international market," said Harawa.

Speaking in an interview, Austin Manda, a bee farmer said that they need a laboratory in their area so that they can meet the standards that are required on the international market.

He concurred with the other speakers that honey indeed could replace tobacco as the main foreign exchange earner saying that at peak periods a hive with a main flow can yield 15-25 kg while semi flow yield is 9-12 kg per harvest.

"We harvest honey twice a year. You can see honey has the potential of making a lot of money for the farmer and the country in forex. One meter beehive can produce 30 kgs a season and if translated into monetary terms you can see for yourself how much a farmer gets in a season," said Manda.

Manda said that once honey has been harvested the residue is also used as raw material for some other products. Unlike tobacco which needs a lot of money to produce with no residue that can be used, beekeeping has many spin-off benefits.

The farmers in SBDARA area are asking government to consider taking positive steps in order for them to have greater profits by introducing bee-keeping education in the agricultural colleges' curricular.

Community Partnership for Natural Resource Management [COMPASS] is helping these farmers in pricing, packaging and marketing so that farmers can fetch good prices for their honey.

According to COMPASS Public Awareness Specialist Levi Zeleza Manda, community based natural resources management [CBNRM] in which bee-keeping is a component, should be viewed as a viable strategy for rural development because wealth derived from natural resources is sustainable.