More farmers opt for bee-keeping

Mercy Ngwebvu
THE harsh shift of weather conditions has forced many farmers to be innovative and venture into agricultural activities that are not dependent on rainfall. One such group of farmers is the Mabhonda of Penhalonga which has taken up apiculture (beekeeping) as an alternative livelihood’s option.
Beekeeping is an art of rearing bees for the production of honey and its by-products.

A field day held at the Chakanyanza homestead last week proved beyond doubt that apiculture, if done properly, can be a viable and lucrative form of agriculture.

Farmers said they were determined to carry out this new way of agriculture to beat climate change.

Mr Edson Chakanyanza (66) said the new trade, despite the few challenges he was facing, was a viable venture.

“I have a total of 200 bee-hives, but only 67 are colonised but I am hopeful that all of them will be having bees soon. Considering that maize does not really thrive in this area, I switched to beekeeping which seems to be a better option. At the moment, we have a buyer who comes from Burma Valley and we usually sell off our honey for a maximum of $3 per kg.

“Our main setback is lack of protective clothing. I do not have the proper bee suits and this challenge haunts me during the harvesting time. Safari ants, wax moths and the honey badger are the pests I have to deal with without the protective clothing. I also need reading material because I am not yet well acquainted with apiculture. My wish is to uplift this area together with other farmers inasfar as beekeeping is concerned,” he said.

The district forestry extension officer for Mutare, Evis Chirengende Makoni, encouraged the famers and said apiculture was a noble way of conserving the environment.

“Apiculture is a viable income generator and I hope people from this area have embraced it as a business. Diversification of agricultural activities is important and with the shifting weather conditions, a back-up plan would always be a wise move. I urge you though, to guard against veld fires as they always affect apiculture,” she said.

Besides being a form of income generation, beekeeping is an environmentally sound activity as it enhances forest conservation. Trees do not just need bees for their own reproduction but for the whole system within which the trees exist.

Also at the field day was the Climate Smart Trust official, Willet Mtisi, who emphasised on the need for protective clothing when practising apiculture.

The official said that when the farmers in the area get established, they should consider queen breeding for the production of more honey.

Apiculture is a practical tool for raising awareness in communities on the importance of forests and engage them in conscious protection, conservation and sustainable resource management.