AN Expert on beekeeping activity has cautioned against the continued habit of the forest destruction which results into the depletion of natural vegetations, a common habit which must be stopped in order to preserve natural vegetations for the development of beekeeping activity in the country. Then situation is as rampant as there is indiscriminate felling of trees which takes place in most natural forest reserve areas in the country which if could be controlled as in accordance with the national policy, these forests could be good source areas for the development of beekeeping and production of honey, says an expert. Speaking in an exclusive interview this week in Dar es Salaam, Ephraim Kilon who is also the Managing Director and a sole proprietor of the Mbeya based Nekta Beekeeping Technical Services Ltd, said that, Tanzania has been blessed with a vast and good natural resources whose vegetations are fit for beekeeping. He says that, despite of all these natural resources which Tanzania is blessed with, it is surprising to note that, the government does not take a keen interest to preserve the areas for the development of beekeeping which does not demand the procurement of raw materials other than creating a conducive environment for bees in order to thrive. According to him, beekeeping is a good source of income generating activity which if the government utilizes its natural forest reserves properly, is likely to increase employment to youths, and added that the beekeeping activity if given the priority it deserves would earn the country with foreign exchange reserve. As an expert he has urged fellow beekeepers to look at more safer places whereby the activity might be moving well as bees are insects which dislikes disturbances wherever they are. Unlike in Africa, in Europe there is an environmental change which takes place now and then. With the current level of development of the sector taking place in the country, he has however thanked the Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda for his initiatives which he has shown towards ensuring the beekeeping activity in the country is being promoted at all costs.
Bee experts harvesting honey from a beehive by using special protective gears.
“Tanzania is blessed with good natural resources and in addition to that, empowering policies and laws, people, as well as training for youths on the best practice of the elementary beekeeping knowledge must be given a priority set up, and by using all these resources, we can get out of poverty”, he said. However, he is on the view of the fact that since beekeeping is a special economic duty if empowered wherever necessary and made available to youths who have the greatest manpower resource capacity, the trend of trade could have been more advanced in the country. Estimated statistics have indicated that, if there should have been 1.5 million beekeepers in the country with each one of those in possession of at least ten beehives for investment, the national revenues would have risen to Sh. 1.8 billion. Ephraim (75) who is now an entrepreneur is a retired government servant and worked for over 40 years since first employed by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism in 1969 and held various posts from the district to regional level as beekeeping officer. He was first promoted to the rank of district beekeeping officer for Kasula district in 1972 and worked in the similar position for Tanga district before promoted to the rank of a regional officer for Mbeya region. He has also ever worked outside the country on consultancy services in Botswana and the United States of America between 1980 and 1985 respectively. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has seen the need to promote the beekeeping sector in the country for this 2012/13 fiscal year. This is in a bid to implement the national policy on beekeeping of the year 1998 alongside with its law of 2001. In order to implement this, the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Myalandu said recently that, the government trough his ministry has planned to buy 5,000 beehives and distribute them to beekeepers surrounding forest reserve areas in the country. According to him, the government is underway to promote beekeeping activities among the youths in all districts in the country as one way to promote the activity which has gained a much faster pace for the national economy. In addition to that, the ministry is underway to increase experts in beekeeping so as to have enough of them in the country.
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