Nine regions to get a share of Sh27bn EU beekeeping support
Beehives located in a natural forest. Stingless bees flourish more in natural forests and caves. Bee-farming using stingless bees can also be done close to homes because they won’t attack people - much unlike bees that sting people. PHOTO | FILE
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These include Kigoma, Katavi, Singida, Tabora, Shinyanga, Pemba North and Pemba South regions.
Dodoma. The European Union (EU) is availing 10 million euros (Sh27 billion) in grants to Tanzania in an effort to tweak the beekeeping value chain across the East African nation.
The five-year project will specifically benefit beekeepers in seven regions of Tanzania Mainland and two more in Pemba, Zanzibar.
These include Kigoma, Katavi, Singida, Tabora, Shinyanga, Pemba North and Pemba South regions.
The deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Ms Mary Masanja, said here yesterday that the project will partly help Tanzania to significantly boost its honey production.
“This is a huge amount that if well utilized, it will have a profound impact on lives of beekeepers within a very short time,” she said.
Tanzania used to produce 4,860 tonnes per year of honey during previous years but the volume has since risen to 31,179 tonnes per year.
The EU-funded programme is expected to raise production further to 138,000 tonnes per year.
“The money will go towards improving production systems for bee products and fine-tuning processing and value-addition facilities,” she said, noting that the market for bee products was huge in European countries.
She said the project will empower the Arusha-based Njiro Wildlife Research Institute by availing working equipment at the Institute’s beekeeping laboratory. This will enable researchers to work effectively.
The EU Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Manfredo Fanti said the honey market was huge in the 27-member European bloc.
He said producers in the EU were only capable of producing 60 percent of their honey demand, hence the need to supplement the remaining 40 percent with imports.
“This deficit is what compels us to come to Tanzania and finance the project through grants. We will keep cooperating in a number of ways until we succeed,” he said.
He said there was specific amount of honey that was being required in the EU, noting however that the actual volume will be determined by the quality of the product to be produced.
It is expected that the project will benefit over two million Tanzanians who are employed in the entire beekeeping value chain.
