By Alex Byakatonda
Honey producers and processors in Kabale District, have been urged to
embrace value addition in order to improve the quality of their
honey, since the honey being produced in the Kigezi region, has the
the potential of meeting the international market standards.
The call was on Friday made by the Kabale District Secretary for
Production, Marketing Natural Resources, Trade, Industry, and Local
Development, Ronald Bagamuhunda, who represented the Kabale District
Chairperson, Nelson Nshangabasheija, at the handover of two honey
settling tanks to two honey processing groups, at the District
headquarters.
He noted that innovation and value addition is in line with the National
Development plan III, and also helps to improve on the quality of
honey and other hive-based products, and hence improving household
incomes of small-scale beekeepers, who are part of the 39 percent of
subsistence households, being targeted by Government under the Parish
development model-PDM.
According to the Kabale District Senior entomologist, Honest
Tumuheirwe, the tanks which are all valued at 5.7million shillings,
were procured under the Agricultural extension grants. She added that
the tanks are meant to improve the quality of honey.
Tumuheirwe added that the tanks have been handed over to Nyabushabi
Beekeepers Association and Kabale Apiculture Multi-Stakeholder
Innovation platform.
The Kabale Chief Administrative officer, Edmond Ntimba, warned
apiarists against always killing the bees while harvesting honey,
saying that they could extinct them. He said that promoting the honey
sub-sector also helps to ensure the growth of the agro-forestry
sector.
Benon Nshekanabo, one of the farmers from Kabale Apiculture Multi
Stakeholder Innovation platform, commended the government, for
continuously supporting apiarists, saying that they have been able to
make strides from producing honey for home consumption to producing
for the market.
END
