Gwembe boosts honey-making project

GWEMBE district has received 1,000 bee-hives to benefit 100 people that are involved in honey making business.

According to Gwembe District Bee Keeping focal point person, Dominic Kunda, the beneficiaries were in four agriculture camps.

The honey production project will be piloted in Bunyeta, Gwembe Central, Luumbo and Munyumbwe agricultural camps.

Mr Kunda said the project was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Climate Resilience of Agricultural Livelihoods in Agro-Ecological Regions I and II (SCRALA).

The project was aimed at empowering the 100 people to produce and harvest the natural resource, honey.

Mr Kunda said the Ministry of Agriculture would work closely with the forestry department under the Ministry of Lands in implementing the bee keeping honey project.

“These bee hives will be distributed to the honey farmers in the four camps and the Ministry of Lands is our implementing partner,” Mr Kunda said.

He said Gwembe district has great potential for honey production adding that there is a ready market for the national resource.

Mr Kunda said that targeted farmers had already been trained on how to produce and harvest honey and added that the district would produce 2,000 tonnes of honey by September this year.

Meanwhile, Mr Kunda said that the district has procured an assortment of honey-making accessories, which include gum-boots, gloves, veils, overalls, smokers, bee brushes and harvesting knives which are required in the harvesting of honey.

And acting Gwembe District Forestry Officer Lumpa Kaunda said the honey project would be rolled out to 12 agricultural camps after piloting it in the four sites.- ZANIS