The ManicaPost
Kudakwashe Chidziya Post Correspondent
DESPITE being known for its various agricultural activities, Manicaland has embraced apiculture as a niche farming venture with the aim to produce an assortment of on-demand products like honey, bee wax and propolis.
The Manicaland Apiculture Association (MAA) this week joined the rest of the world in celebrating the World Bees Day, which acknowledged the significance of bees and other pollinators in bettering agricultural activities.
The campaign was held in response to the increasing human-animal conflict which has resulted in the loss of so many species of animals.
MAA chairperson Mr Ishmael Sithole told The Manica Post that bee keeping was very important for agriculture, and was becoming even more popular as people were gradually becoming responsible on bees upkeep.
“The vast knowledge with people now that agricultural yield, both qualitatively and quantitatively, is determined by pollinators has resulted in most people venturing into bee keeping.
“People are adapting gradually and there is need to enhance their knowledge to value apiculture. We will reduce our import bill as a nation by producing our own bee products locally.
“Instead of importing bee wax, which has more than 200 industrial uses, including in the production of bread, we can produce it at commercial scale locally,” he said.
Several bee products such as propolis, honey and bee wax are on high demand on the local market. There is a gradual uptake in commercial bee keeping as local farmers embrace agricultural diversity.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPSC) farm manager Mr Sibiya said farmers must take advantage of the favourable weather condition in Mutare to embark on apiculture.
“People must venture into apiculture so that we produce enough bee products to substitute the importation of bee products. We can have our own commercial hives and breed more bees, while utilising the favourable weather conditions in the province,” he said.
The famous quote, “if the bees disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live” which is attributed to Einstein, was repeatedly made reference to during the International Bees Day celebrations.
