BY ABEBE WOLDEGIORGIS
It is proved that Ethiopia is one of the leading countries in the world in honey resource potential. It is also the first country in Africa. Ethiopia has huge bee colony and in one colony there is one queen with hundreds of male bee followers or drones and from 20 thousand to 80 thousands female bee honey producers or workers.
Totally it is estimated in Ethiopia that there are about 7 million bee colonies. Based on this information, it is predicted that Ethiopia has a potential to produce 550 thousand tones of honey annually which is more than half a million metric ton.
However, currently the nation produces only 29 percent of it and supplies to the market. According to sources out of it, less than two percent is exported. Professionals in the field explain that if Ethiopia produces honey in its full capacity and export it, it could garner handsome amount of hard currency. Green Face is a Private Limited Company engaged in exporting honey production and it exhibited its honey product known as “ Marda’’ to the public which is produced for local market. Several government officials attended the occasion.
According to Tariku Teka, Vice Director of the Ethiopian Animal Resource Institute, out of the seven million bee colonies, 90 percent of honey is produced in traditional hives. The hives are put in the areas where there are abundant forests and vegetation coverage but the production is very less compared to the potential of the areas for honey production.
This again indicates that how the resource is wasted. To exploit the resource in a better manner, on the second “Growth and Transformation Plan” the government underlined to redouble its effort and enhance honey production. Efforts also exerted in the past to promote the sector but due to manmade and natural calamities the necessary outcome was not obtained. However, to resolve the problem sustainably plan is set for the coming four years under the motto “Yelemat Tirufat” to prioritize the sector at the national level.
In such a way with in short period of time, it is planned to expand honey production by organizing associations with 20 honey producing men in each village. The plan also intends to produce 300 million tones of honey in the coming three years and to supply to both domestic and foreign markets. However, currently, the sector’s productivity is in its lowest level, he said. At the national level, only half of the honey production is properly conducted and supplied to the market.
As to Tariku, there are various problems witnessed in the sector and the poor quality of the production can be mentioned. Adulteration has become rampant and this in turn eroded the customers’ trust. Problems also witnessed on input supply. As packaging materials are imported from abroad, it needs hard currency in which the nation suffers from shortage. As a result, many businessmen refrain to involve in honey export business. To address the problem, the Ministry of Agriculture with the cooperation of pertinent government officials, allowed traders to import 500 items used for honey production inputs used for export free of tax.
The other case raised as a problem is poor market linkage and to bring solution “proclamation and instruction” is under preparation. The draft proclamation is evaluated by the relevant experts and other stakeholders. When it is completed, similar to coffee and other products, legal system will be implemented on honey production and marketing. The draft law was scrutinized by the Ministry of Justice and in the near future will be floured to the House of People’s Representatives for debate and later will be endorsed.
Aziz Ayalew is working in the Ministry of Agriculture in the Department of bee and silk development. As to him, enabling environment is created to modernize honey production and supply to foreign market and garner hard currency.
Ethiopia has conducive ecology with various types of plants which support honey production. As a result, the Ethiopian honey can be said organic with special test and with high demand in local and foreign markets. In addition, places that are located 1000 -2400 meters above sea level proved that they are conducive for honey production. In these areas floras that are grown after the end of the rainy season said conducive for the availability of pollen bee reproduction and honey production.
However, to exploit the resource properly dedication for the betterment of the sector is needed. If it is fully exploited, it is possible to produce 500 thousand tones of honey and more than 50 thousand tones wax. But as mentioned above currently out of the total potential only 29 percent of honey and 23 percent of wax is produced and supplied to the market.
Such situation indicates that how the sector faces various challenges and the absence of interest on the part of investors to engage in honey business. The absence of strong honey producers association also contributes for the underdevelopment of the sector. In addition, because of very little attention rendered to the sector, it remained stagnated.
Enhancing honey production and productivity is one of the plans among others prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and modernizing the sector is comprised in the ten year’s perspective economic growth plan. According to Aziz, if sufficient attention is paid to the sector by conducting study and through hybrid bees in addition to increasing production, it indirectly enables to enhance the oil seeds production. Moreover, only by practicing honey production in the places where there is coffee farms, it is possible to increase the coffee production by 25 percent.
As mentioned above, the Green Face Private Limited Company which engaged in exporting honey products to abroad began to supply its products to local market. There is high demand of honey product in local market and to meet the demand it began to supply its “marden honey” to the local market since last month. Since its establishment in 2018, the company exported its products to countries such as Europe, Asia and USA, the company manager John Girma said. As to him, the honey product is collected from South Western Ethiopia and the collecting process paid critical attention for the quality of honey. To keep up the quality of the product, it works collaboratively with the honey producers and suppliers.
In Ethiopia, honey production and value chain can create job opportunity to thousands and this is not rhetoric rather it is real. This is proved by International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology- ICIPE which works with cooperation of the Canadian based organization by its name ‘MasterCard Foundation. The institution is engaged in environmental protection works and insect researches. It supports rural population engaged in honey production to raise productivity by providing technical support and extension services so that to uplift their living status through raising their income. Particularly, it extended its work in Amhara region.
The institute crafted project focusing on youth to create job opportunity through providing training regarding modern honey production and fertilizing silk worm for textile production. In addition to Amhara, it is implementing its projects in resource reach regions such as Southern Nation and Nationalities, Oromia and Tigray regions and created jobs for 70 thousands youth.
In general, the center is working to train and create job opportunity to 100 thousand youth on honey production in the coming five years. The research center project coordinator Workineh Ayalew said that till now, it spent 25 million Dollars for training and creating job opportunity to youth and totally it obtained 55 million Dollars from MasterCard foundation to support the project.
He further said that currently 65 thousand youth are engaged in honey production and training will be given to them with regard to trading skills, life skill, planning, saving, profitability and other related skills. After training in cooperation with the regional land management office officials, efforts will be exerted to provide plot of lands for starting the work. Additional materials helpful to start the work will be fulfilled by the institute and partially by the beginners themselves.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 16 MAY 2023
