By Kundai Marunya
THERE is great demand for Zimbabwean honey on both local and international fronts and local beekeepers are failing to satisfy the markets.
Zimbabwe is one of the few countries producing miombo honey which is in high demand internationally.
This is multi-floral honey produced by bees that forage the savannah forests seeking out a diverse array of woodland flora.
Miombo honey is pesticide-free, GMO-free and certified 100 percent organic.
“Internationally, honey is most sought after especially the type of honey we should be producing in Zimbabwe due to the abundance of musasa trees,” said Shingi Mugabe of the Professional Beekeepers’ Association of Zimbabwe (PROBAZ).
“Musasa is classified as miombo, which is only found in Southern Africa, parts of East Africa and Central Africa.
“Because these trees are only found in this region, it allows us to produce a type of honey called miombo honey which is highly sought after.
“Other countries have been slowly supplying the market, among them Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique, but the quantities are minimal.
“We need to produce more of it so that we can capitalise on the available market.”
Mugabe said miombo honey has the potential to compete on the market with the manuka honey of Australia and New Zealand.
“We could also market it like they do in Australia and New Zealand which produce manuka honey, one of the most expensive varieties of honey in the world only found in the two countries,” he said.
Apart from miombo honey, the country also produces eucalyptus honey which is used for medicinal purposes.
This honey is largely bought by pharmaceutical companies which use it as an ingredient in medicines.
Zimbabwe has great potential to take on the market due to the vast natural resources in the form of rich flora across most of its provinces.
Zimbabwe has a comparative advantage over other countries, like Ethiopia, which is largely arid but is the biggest producer of honey on the continent.
The problem with Zimbabwe, however, lies with archaic methods of beekeeping and a very low professional uptake of the sector as compared to other ventures, such as goat and rabbit farming, which have been attracting a lot of attention and investment.
Beekeeping, also known as apiculture, is, in Zimbabwe, largely reliant on traditional methods which include using hollow wooden tree trunks and makeshift metal containers as hives randomly set about in the forest.
Even the methods of harvesting honey are heavily reliant on using fire to smoke out the bees, which usually results in some of them being killed in the process.
“The demand is there but, unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to sustain or supply those international markets because we do not have many beekeepers. At the same time, the type of technology we are using is more traditional than modern,” said Mugabe.
“Traditional techniques have their disadvantages and demerits which include low yields.
“We actually need to train more beekeepers so that we can then introduce more modern technologies that will translate to better yields.”
The archaic approach, in addition to the absence of professional training and organisations spearheading the transition to modern techniques has left Zimbabwe losing out millions of dollars in possible revenue.
Over 40 years ago, in the spirit of a new Zimbabwe, one that is inclusive and progressive, a white-dominated Rhodesia Beekeepers’ Council was disbanded, leaving a void in professional honey production.
“Since then, there hasn’t been any significant growth. We are still not producing enough; we don’t have many beekeepers and we are still using traditional or rudimentary hives,” said Mugabe.
“Without the best hiving technology, we are not in a position to produce the maximum yield, not to mention the best quality. We will also not be able to diversify into other activities that will profit us as opposed to just sticking to honey production.”
It is only now that Zimbabweans are slowly appreciating apiculture, all thanks to PROBAZ which has established branches across the country’s 10 provinces.
The organisation has been training beekeepers on the best approach to boosting their venture in ecologically friendly ways.
Thandeka Mukandiona, a smallholder farmer from Goromonzi, has since adopted apiculture to increase her income, with plans to build up her investment, to become one of the country’s top producers.
“I received training from PROBAZ and have been working with the network to build a viable beekeeping venture,” said Mukandiona.
“The organisation has helped me graduate from my traditional techniques to a more modern approach that has seen a vast improvement in my apiary.”
With PROBAZ’s growing network, and other like-minded organisations also coming on board, apiculture is likely to grow into a booming industry in years to come.
The improvement would mean more honey for both local consumption and the export market.
The current shortage has, however, resulted in fake products dominating the market, threatening the quality Zimbabwe currently prides itself in.
“We are failing to supply the market with enough honey to such a point that we now have adulterated honey (fake honey) being sold on the streets at very low prices,” said a Mashonaland West-based beekeeper who preferred anonymity.
“This is a huge challenge to us as beekeepers. We now have to compete with the fake honey in terms of pricing.”
Mugabe said honey was among the three most adulterated substances in the world; the other two being cooking oil and milk.
“Fake honey has infiltrated the market and is slowly dominating to an extent people in our country now find it difficult to tell the difference between fake and pure honey,” he said.
Setting up a successful apiary needs relevant knowledge, with area-specific training.
Engaging seasoned professionals is one of the first steps towards professional production.
With adequate training and investment, it is possible to grow apiculture into a multimillion-dollar business.
It is a venture one can get into while engaging in other activities on the land.
