Online Reporter
Nokuthaba Brita Ncube [email protected]
Zimbabwe today joins the global community in celebrating World Bee Day, a day dedicated to honouring the vital role of pollinators.
Beekeepers, farmers, and local communities are coming together to highlight the significance of these essential creatures in supporting ecosystems and agricultural productivity.
World Bee Day was set aside by the United Nations (UN) to recognise the importance of bees and for wider society to take concrete action to preserve and protect them.
The day also presents an opportunity to recognise the role of beekeeping, bees and other pollinators in increasing food security, improving nutrition and fighting hunger as well as in providing key ecosystem services for agriculture.
This year, the commemorations are running under the theme; “Bee inspired by nature to nourish us all”.
Bee’s Honey company director Mr Welcome Bhila said this year’s theme underscores the importance of pollinators in agrifood systems and ecosystem health.
“In Zimbabwe, beekeepers are warming up to global trends and developing programs to raise awareness among communities and stakeholders,” he said.
He highlighted that one notable initiative is the upcoming launch of the Mutually Supporting the Apiculture Industry (MUTSA) programme by Bee’s Honey Company, which seeks to train beekeepers and equip them with skills that promote smart beekeeping.
“The programme aims to train 1 000 000 beekeepers equipping them with skills and knowledge to promote sustainable beekeeping practices, distribute 3 000 000 beehives providing beekeepers with the necessary tools to increase honey production and promote pollination and also plant 1000 000 bee-friendly trees, enhancing biodiversity and supporting pollinator conservation,” he said.
According to Mr Bhila, the MUTSA programme brings together local banks, Government ministries, departments, and key stakeholders to support the development of Zimbabwe’s apiculture industry, which will in turn contribute to significantly to employment creation, income generating opportunities for beekeepers, farmers, and rural communities as well as increasing honey production and promoting entrepreneurship in the apiculture sector.
