THE National Economic and Empowerment Council (NEEC) has started to work on a five year sustainable beekeeping development program, the project which it had proposed to be conducted in eight regions in the country. It has been learnt. The program with the aim of empowering stakeholders in beekeeping industry will come to an end in 2017. It will look together with other things various impediments affecting beekeeping sector and how to overcome them with a view to increase honey production in the country. Speaking in an exclusive interview, the NEEC’s Executive Secretary Dr. Anacleti Kashuliza said recently in Dar es Salaam recently that, the main objective of the program is to establish and develop modern technology of beekeeping which involves taking care of environment that will effectively contribute to the economies of the key stakeholders at the national level. He said through the program, NEEC would give education to beekeepers on various methods and techniques they should use in order to successfully manage quality production output of honey and how to curb with other challenges facing the whole sector in general. The program also involves sensitization so that people might effectively participate in beekeeping activities. In addition to that, the program also goes alongside with the establishment of business clusters aimed at stimulating beekeeping activity in the country. Under this sensitization program, beekeepers would be introduced and directed how to use protective gears while taking out honey from beehives and many other as related to the general beekeeping activity, he said. The program by NEEC which is spearheaded by the Prime Minister’s Office comes amid a thorough research activity it conducted in collaboration with a private National Beekeeping Supplies Company in Manyara region.
NEEC’s Executive Secretary Dr. Anacleti Kashuliza presenting a paper. Seated on his left is the Minister of State in President's Office responsible for Empowerment Dr. Mary Nagu
The research was done as part of fulfillment of the directives issued by the Prime Minister’s office the department concerned with privatization and empowerment, and this was confirmed on the presentation of the proposed plan by NEEC and after which the council was officially directed and allowed to prepare a five year development plan The findings of the research work indicated that, most beekeepers in the country still uses outdated techniques to conduct their beekeeping activities, and it had recommended that if they could unite their efforts in cooperative societies they could be in a better chance to increase the current low production capacity level of honey and earn the nation more profits. NEEC has prepared this program to be conducted in eight regions through the assistance of the regional secretarial Councils of a particular district councils selected to implement the targeted program. The regions and their selected district in brackets are Manyara (Babati and Hanang), Dodoma (Chamwino), Tabora (Urambo), Kigoma (Kigoma), Tanga (Korogwe). Iringa and Coast regions have yet selected their districts. Other objectives set alongside with the main program includes to establish and or develop beekeepers’ cooperative societies so as to accumulate capital investments and establish special honey markets through various honey centers, to emphasize fishing development activities as well as reinforcing best use of arable land for cultivation, forests and to establish tree seedbeds and continue promoting environmental friendly crops for bees. To achieve all these objectives regulations and bylaws would be compiled to help stand for coordination, measure and value the implementation of the program. Other challenges to curb with are the poor price offered to honey sellers and lack of strategic market though there is a great demand on the use of quality honey. The migration of bees around because of lack of water, trees and flowers and other disturbances such as smoke and many others have been exacerbating issues which needs urgent attention.
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