Honey production has declined despite an increase in the number of beekeepers in the country.

MUTARE — The country’s apiculture sector is under threat from imports, which now account for more than 50 percent of the market after local production slumped over the past two years.

Statistics from the Beekeepers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) and Agritex show that the country, which has capacity to produce over 400 000 kilogrammes of honey, produced 50 000 kilogrammes in 2016, down from 69 730 kilogrammes in 2014.
Figures for 2015 honey production were not available.
Honey production declined despite an increase in the number of beekeepers, which rose to 20 000 last year, from 15 967 in 2014.
As a result, foreign producers have managed to push their product into the local market, capitalising on increasing demand.
Imports have averaged 19 528 kilogrammes annually between 2010 and 2014, according to official statistics. BAZ indicated that imports have more than doubled and now constitute over 50 percent of the market share.
BAZ director, Chaipa Mutandwa said local honey producers were failing to meet demand.
“High volumes of honey are being imported into the country because local producers are failing to meet demand. At the moment imports are accounting for over 50 percent of the market,” said Mutandwa.
“The sector is largely informal and this makes it hard for us to keep track of production levels and sales. But we have nevertheless been keeping track of the sector and production has been very low over the years and this has been affecting honey output.”
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency has indicated that honey imports have been predominantly from South Africa and Zambia since 2009.
In 2012, several countries including the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Malawi and Netherlands also started exporting honey to Zimbabwe.
Mutandwa said local producers faced a number of setbacks, such as decreased population of hives, and noted that a high number of beehives were unoccupied.
“The sector is faced with a myriad of challenges ranging from inappropriate technologies, decline of bee population due to pesticides usage, among others which result in low colonisation of hives and poor yields,” he said.
According to statistics, the number of hives decreased to 81 948 hives in 2016, from 85 794 in 2014 due to an increase in unoccupied hives, which rose to 45 percent in 2016 from 40 percent in 2014.
Mutandwa said there was lack of specialised staff in apiculture to serve extension needs and that there were gaps in the legal framework to regulate the industry and lack of local scientific research support which were undermining the sector.
The sector also had an uncoordinated producer data-base and invisible local markets. – By Kenneth Matimaire
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