TABORA: TABORA Region’s beekeepers are increasing honey production and incomes after adopting modern hive shelter technology designed to protect colonies and improve harvesting conditions.
The technology is benefiting residents and entrepreneurs, particularly women-led beekeeping groups in Sikonge, Urambo and Kaliua districts, where traditional hives have long faced damage from harsh weather and poor handling conditions.
The initiative is being implemented under the Participatory Management Project for Dryland Miombo Forests by the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
Sikonge’s Miombo Beekeepers Group Secretary Ms Sarah Mgombozi said women now have greater knowledge and confidence in practising modern beekeeping using hive shelters.
“This project has brought many benefits, especially by motivating women to participate in beekeeping entrepreneurship,” she said.
The group is from Misheni Village. Ms Mgombozi said that the training offered through the project has transformed local beekeeping practices through the use of modern hives and honey-processing equipment. Another beneficiary group member, Ms Mary Saimon, said the initiative has eased the challenges previously faced by women engaged in traditional beekeeping.
“We have learned a lot, and through our group we will now be able to support our children’s education, increase efforts in making modern hives and make it easier for women to manage hives and harvest honey,” she said.
The TFS Senior Assistant Commissioner for Conservation and Beekeeping Resources Manager, Mr Hussein Msuya, said the project aims to conserve Miombo woodlands while improving the livelihoods of communities in Kaliua, Sikonge and Urambo districts.
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“We visited the project area and witnessed the progress made. The project has constructed hive shelters to help women participate fully in the Miombo programme,” he said.
The project has already constructed eight hive shelters across the three districts for modern beekeeping activities. He said that the project is also constructing honey-processing centres in Kaliua and Urambo districts, with one centre already completed while construction of the second is expected to begin soon.
“Farmers report that a single hive can now produce between 29 and 30 kilogrammes of honey. This demonstrates the positive impact of the training provided through the Miombo project and highlights significant improvements compared to the period before the project was introduced,” he said.
The project also continues to provide training and education on modern beekeeping practices. Mr Msuya further said the project plans to establish Miombo seed centres aimed at conserving Miombo forests and preserving vegetation through a seed storage facility in the Kaliua plains.
Meanwhile, FAO Assistant Representative in Tanzania, Mr Charles Tulahi, said the organisation is implementing the Miombo project in Mlele District in Katavi Region as well as in Kaliua, Sikonge and Urambo districts in Tabora Region to help curb forest degradation.