Constraints to bee keeping, honey processing and marketing in selected sub-counties of Soroti District.

Abstract

This study was conducted in Kamuda and Arapai Sub Counties Soroti district to find out the constraints to Bee keeping honey processing and marketing. The focus of the study was to identify the types of beehives used, assess the socio-economic, cultural, management and other factors affecting quality of honey establish the. factors affecting good quality honey and asses access to market and characterize market structures done in Kamuda and Arapai sub counties. A Hundred (100) respondents were randomly selected and interviewed using a questionnaire which was pretested before the commencement of data collection. The data collected was analysed using statistical package of social scientists (SPSS version 16) arid Microsoft excel 2007 to find the frequencies and percentages which are presented using tables, graphs and pie charts. The study revealed that 71% of the respondents were married and this provided the family labor,15% kept bees for home consumption,23% for income generation and 62% kept the bees for both home consumption and generation of income and the majority (50%) used traditional bee hives made out of tree logs. The study reveals that majority of the fanners in the study area (69%) have less than 10 bee hives an. average which is less 15% of the recommended minimum number (Moustafa, 2001). Most farmers (98%) had not recognized disease outbreak but majority (74%) could recognize pests where Varoa mites and ants where most prevalent with 41% and 63% respectively. It was also noted that majority of the bee farmers (95%) don't have harvesting equipment such as smoker, gears etc., which reduced the quality of the honey; In conclusion therefore, the main constraints to honey production are; lack of experience and knowledge about the diseases, poor bee hives management, pests and diseases, lack of capital to buy modem bee, hives, lack of equipment for harvesting and processing honey. etc. From the results, it can be recommended that; the farmers should establish a dose linkage with the various service providers who provide services such as training, equipment such as. smokers, gears etc. and market information and linkages. Beekeepers should also form associations and organized into cooperative societies at the local; and regional and national levels. This will enable them to access services e.g. training and. extension services and enhance collective marketing through which they can negotiate for better prices