Apiculture value chain development
Interventions and lessons
Va l u e c h a i n
interventions
Input supply interventions: Initial diagnosis Knowledge management/
• Farmers and traders recognized the market potential for honey
production. However, quality-based pricing was in its early stages Capacity development
• Inadequate knowledge and skills on commercial apiculture
production systems among value chain actors and service Ta r g e t i n g
providers
• Traditional honey production and collection was women unfriendly. • Owners of traditional hives
Involve small scale carpenters, bee
keepers in construction of top bar Therefore, women’s role in the apiculture value chain was often
with sufficient water and forage
hives limited to the preparation and selling of local drinks (tej)
resources
• Past development strategies focused mainly on introduction of • Landless youth
frame hives and less emphasis was given to bee management
• Women for modern hives which
skills and bee forage development
are easy to manage and inspect
• Input and service supply system for improved apiculture (including in their backyards
supply of colonies) was insufficient and was uneconomical
because of limited demand
Involve cooperative and private shops
in the sale of beekeeping accessories • Weak linkages between farmers, other value chain actors and
and providing services (wax foundation
sheets)
service providers
Knowledge management / Skill development
Va l u e c h a i n a c t o r s , s e r v i c e p r o v i d e r s a n d l i n k a g e s Access knowledge through study tours, farmer field days, farmer
to farmer exchange programs, and woreda knowledge centers
Knowledge / Skills Input supply
MoA, BoA, OoA
services
EARS (Holeta) Apiculture shops
Increase supply of bee colonies Private apiculture industry Cooperative shops
by splitting techniques Specialist farmers Local carpenters
Consultants Colony producers-collec-
NGOs (SNV) tors
Production interventions: Emphasize practical training including indigenous knowledge
with follow up by available experts
Honey Producers
Top bar hives or transitional hives, Frame hives or modern hives should
should be considered when the main be considered when honey extraction
Additional ICT-supported information /knowledge via
market outlet is for crude honey. equipment is available and a market
for pure honey has been identified.
Credit Processing /Marketing Ethiopian Agriculture Portal (EAP) www.eap.gov.et
Microfinance institutions
Cooperatives Private apiculture industry
NGOs Cooperatives
Private apiculture industry Traders
Apiculture shops
Match apiculture development with Often hives are managed in backyards
available bee forage resources of individual farms.
including new crops, rehabilitated
grazing areas, planted multipupose
bee forages.
Lessons and challenges
Processing / Marketing interventions
• Knowledge sharing, training, follow up of interventions, and partner linkages contribute to
improving the skills and knowledge of value chain actors and service providers, including women
• Rapid market assessments are helpful in identifying potential markets. However, existing channels
and traditional honey products are still important and will continue to be demanded
• Promotion of types of hives should consider market demand. If crude honey is the market
demand, top bar hives are appropriate for a transition period. Frame hives are appropriate when
the market for clear honey is significant
Stimulate cooperatives and private sector • Improved honey production can be operated in small areas and is an attractive endeavor for many
partners to develop village level honey landless youth groups and women
extracting and/or pressing services once
honey volumes from frame or top bar • Colony transfer technologies and colony splitting services were successfully introduced. Most new
hives are sufficiently increased
colonies are initially kept by the producers but lucrative colony markets are emerging
• The supply of accessories for improved hives is still at an early stage. Private sector and
cooperative involvement is emerging in a few locations. Village or community level honey
extraction services are also emerging. Credit availability is often a factor for such developments
• Apiculture has a positive effect on crops and thus the environment. However apiculture is usually
negatively affected by the commercialization of agriculture – through land use changes and use of
agro chemicals. Positive interactions can be obtained from NRM interventions, through increased
Honey from improved hives is a new
product, which requites a new market, supply of bee forage
predominantly outside the District. New
market channels have to be developed
to link Districts with large urban centers
and exporters.
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