Apiculture value chain development based on experiences of IPMS and

partners.

Presented at the 19th Ethiopian Society of Animal production Annual Conference

15-17 December 2011

Tilahun Gebey

Presentation outline:

1. Apiculture sites

2. Main diagnostic findings

3. Main value chain interventions

4. Impact

5. Challenges/lessons learnt

1. Apiculture sites

Apiculture site1. Adaa2. Alaba3. Atsibi4. Bure5. Fogera6. Goma

2. Main diagnostic findings

Farmers and traders recognized the market potential for honey production. Market price less affected by quality,

Inadequate knowledge and skills on commercial apiculture production systems among value chain actors and service providers,

Traditional beekeeping was mans job, women unfriendly beekeeping and honey harvesting .

2. Main diagnostic findings…

Past development strategies focused on introduction of frame hives and less emphasis; bee management skill and bee forage development,

the occupancy rates was very low,

Input and service supply system for improved apiculture was insufficient,

Weak linkages between farmers, other value chain actors and service providers

Lack of documentation

3. Main value chain interventions

Agricultural extension Skills development Practical training conducted for husband and wife on bee

colony management, proper placing apiaries, harvesting and becolony dearth period mgnt etc

Field days conducted for scaling out Training manuals developed and used in wider.

Knowledge management www.eap.gov.et. , Study tours organized, Facilitated thesis research, Video production,

Linkage value chain actors linkages created for input supply and marketing Honey value chain platform formed

3. Main value chain interventions….

Input supply

Involve small scale carpenters, bee keepers hives making,

Involve cooperative and private shops in the sale of beekeeping equipment,

Increase supply of bee colonies by splitting techniques,

Credit accessed for beekeeping private shop.

3. Main value chain interventions…

Production Introductions of Modern and topbar

hives technologies based on: market demand, cost/benefit consideration, Availabilities of honey extractors

Improving the availability of beeforage development through:

various intervention: plantation of multipurpose bee forages, rehabilitation of grazing areas, Hillside closure site

Better hive management as a result of keeping beehives near to the residences or Backyard.

3. Main value chain interventions….

Processing /marketing Stimulate cooperatives and private sector

partners to develop village level honey extracting

Honey from improved hives is a new product, which requites a new market, predominantly outside the District.

New market channels have to be developed to link Districts with large urban centers and exporters.

Credit facilitated for processing equipment purchase.

4. Results of household Parameter Traditional Beehive Low-cost Top-bar Beehive Frame Type Beehive

cost

Cost of hive

Very cheap, Every material for the hive is locally available, strong skill exist

Cheap, probably those people who couldn’t manufacture precision top bar need to purchase. Up to 120 Birr

Very expensive, always made by carpentor. Morethan 1,500 Birr

Accessories

No need of sophisticated equipment

Top-bar hive management needs protective clothing more than the traditional hive since it is opened more than the traditional hive

Highly dependent on very expensive accessory equipment,: honey extractor; casting moulds; protective clothing etc.

Be

nefit

Comb management

Fixed comb – difficult to inspect, & harvesting many bees & the brood are killed.

Moveable comb – easy to inspect and harvesting doesn’t kill bees and damage brood.

Moveable comb – easy to inspect and harvesting doesn’t kill bees. Much better than Topbar

Swarm control Impossible

Colonies can be easily reproduced by simple colony splitting techniques.

Swarm control and/or queen rearing techniques is possible and highly developed &commercialised.

Honey production and quality

Difficult to harvest as the comb is fixed type and low quality. 5-7kg/hive

Easy as the comb is moveable and doesn’t need further extractor unless it is needed. 18kg hive/season.

Easy to select and remove. 25kg and more pure honey/hive/season.

Honey harvest will remain consistent, as the content of the hive is not damaged during harvesting.

Honey harvest will remain consistent, as the content of the hive undamaged during harvesting.

BeeswaxUp to one kilogram harvest per year

More than one kilogram per year

Very minimum, in fact wax is an input into frame hives, although bees will add to it.

Other products No experience Proplis,

All types oh honey products; propolis, royal jelly,

4. Results of household ….

Input supply: Multiplication of bee colonies by some honey producers

has started in Atsbi, Fogera, Bure and Alaba, It was observed that some trained farmers in Bure also

passed their newly acquired skills to neighboring farmers,

Hive making by local carpenters and/or farmers is on-going in Goma, Fogera, Bure and Alaba.

Supply of foundation sheets in Goma as a business is on-going as an alternative ways of input supply

5. Results of household ….

Small-scale private processing with locally made honey extractors is working very well in Goma where there is more Frame type hive distributed,

Providing honey extraction services to other farmers as business Birr 50/night or Birr 10/hive.

Gender: traditionally, beekeeping is mans job due to hives kept on tree, and risky while harvesting. But now women involvement is high as a result of backyard beekeeping approach,

Environment: Apiculture is known for its positive interaction with other farm activities through pollination of various planted crops, which increase fruit and seed setting.

6. Impact selected across IPMS PLWs

Parameters

Year of production2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10

No. of HH producing honey

1,745

2,315

3,494

3,963

5,074

No. of modern hives

-

-

-

-

13,452

No. of modern hives occupied with colony

2,659

3,408

6,460

7,738

8,266

Total production (kg)

155,730

172,381

239,913

226,233

348,785

Average price (Birr/kg) 20.04 26.23 31.32 34.85 49.34

Volume sold (kg/year) 0 0 0 0

329,106

Total revenue (Birr)

3,120,819 4,521,209 7,514,555

7,883,315

17,208,335

Proportion of HH selling Honey to those producing (%) 91.9 94.71 95.05 93.37 85.62

6. Impact selected across IPMS PLWs

2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 -

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

9,000

-

2,000,000

4,000,000

6,000,000

8,000,000

10,000,000

12,000,000

14,000,000

16,000,000

18,000,000

20,000,000

0 0 0 0 329106.37

No. of HH producing honey No. of modern hives occupied with bee colony Total honey production (kg)

Volume sold (kg/year) Total revenue (Birr)

To

tal

Rev

enu

e

6. Apiculture lesson learnt/challenges

Management of bee forage resources with change in land use, cereals domination

Intensive use of pesticides and herbicide, use of environmental friendly chemical/practices,

Alternative input supply system required additional attention

Some of innovation activities not scaled out as we anticipated,

Honey collection/processing/selling

Cooperative not properly managing,

Private entrepreneurs not entering

Linkages with larger scale commercial firms not efficient

Thank you