The status of beekeeping and its potentials for development in Manyoni District, Singida Region, Tanzania
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Date
2015
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study was carried out between November 2013 and September 2014 to
determine the status of beekeeping industry and its potentials for development in
Manyoni
District. Singida Region, Tanzania. The methods used included
reconnaissance, field and social surveys using questionnaires on the household heads
and checklists of probe questions with key informants. Data collected was analysed
using SPSS software. The results revealed that the adoption status of beekeeping in
the district was currently 70% and although it had started earlier than the 1970s,
initially the adoption accelerated in the 1990s and 2000s. Most of the beekeeping
activities were based on traditional practices using log and bark hives but the use of
the modern bee hives is growing rapidly. Moreover, the results indicated that
beekeepers have rich indigenous knowledge on beekeeping activities which they
utilize effectively in identifying appropriate local baiting materials, tree species for
hive construction and preferable bee forage plants. Most of the beekeepers harvest
honey by using fire to calm down the honeybees; processing and storage of honey is
locally done. The mean annual honey yield from commercial bee hives was highest
followed by log bee hives, gourd hives, bark hives, Tanzania Transitional Hives and
stingless bee hives. Beekeeping plays a significant role in the socio-economic
development through generation of cash incomes and contribution to food security.
Inadequate training and extension services, lack of capital, unreliable markets, long
distance from homesteads to apiaries, fear of bees, theft of hives and forest
degradation were the main constraints to beekeeping. The study therefore,
recommends that the Government should enhance availability of proper beekeeping
equipment, training and extension services, accessibility to credit facilities. formulation of coordinated marketing strategies of the bee products and promotion of
beekeeping integration into the agroforestry practices to ensue sustainable supply of
bee forage and water resources for enhanced sustainability of productivity and the
beekeeping industry.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Beekeeping potentials status, Beekeeping industry, Socio-economic development, Manyoni District, Singida Region, Tanzania