Caritas officials and district holders during inception meeting for the project. Photo by Denis Opoka
By Denis Opoka
Lamwo: Caritas Gulu Archdiocese, in partnership with the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), has announced a plan to support 2500 apiarists in Lamwo district.
The one-year pilot project called Honey Value Chain is aimed at building sustainable livelihoods and income options for the communities in the district through the development of the honey value chain and market.
The project, to be under the theme “Strengthening the Resilience of Women, Men, and Youth in Lamwo District through the Development of the Honey Value Chain,” will also involve multiple stakeholders collaborating to manage the ecosystems to enhance climate change resilience and sustainable development.
The project document shows that out of the 2,500 targeted apiarists, 1,125 will be men, and 1,375 will be women, representing 45% and 55%, respectively.
Margaret Ogaba, the proprietor of Kitgum Uganda Savanah, a bee products processing company, said they have difficulties getting large quantities of bee products from farmers because many of them sell in small quantities.
Ogaba is optimistic that this project will greatly improve apiary farming.
David Odongmadiki, the Lamwo district vice chairperson, welcomed the project and expressed the district’s commitment to ensuring its success.
“As stakeholders of the district, we are willing to assist Caritas in implementing this project using any means available for the benefit of farmers,” Odongmadiki said.
Doris Abalo, the Lamwo district Youth Councilor, and Secretary of Production, Marketing, and Natural Resources, noted that the district produces high-quality honey and other bee products but lacks a proper market.
“Lamwo district is known for its high-quality honey and other bee products. However, local people tend to consume it locally due to the lack of proper markets to sell it. I am hopeful that this project will address this issue,” Abalo said.
According to a Market Assessment and Market System Development report done by Fair & Sustainable Consulting in 2023, up to 95% of the honey produced in Uganda is locally consumed, and only 5% is exported.
The report also highlighted the undersupply of honey on the market, with most of it sold in supermarkets in major towns.
Julius Oola, the project manager, said the project will empower beekeepers to produce high-quality bee products, improve access to quality beekeeping output, and value addition to further the market for these products.
“This suggests that there is a higher demand for honey than the supply in Uganda, implying an opportunity for economic growth since the demand for bee products is reported to be growing locally and nationally,” Oola disclosed.
Patrick Agaba Muhenda, the Lamwo District Production Officer, is hopeful that the project will solve the limited markets for bee products in the district.
According to Agaba, some farmers in the district have been harvesting quality honey and keeping it in their homes since there are no markets, and in the process, the honey gets spoilt due to improper storage.
Wilfred Ochora, the Lamwo District Entomologist, emphasized the need to focus on empowering farmers to invest in high-quality honey harvesting equipment to improve the quality of bee products.
“We need to focus on empowering these farmers to start producing beekeeping equipment, as the project is compelling,” Ochora disclosed.
Sebastian Oguti Oswin, the Lamwo Deputy Resident District Commissioner, urged the district to select the right personnel to spearhead the implementation of the project and engage with the communities to demonstrate the positive impact of participating in honey production.
“Let these employees engage with the communities and persuade them about the impact of their involvement in honey production,” Oguti said.
Lamwo district has more than 280 bee-keeping groups, and 785 individual apiarists, according to statistics from the entomology department. These collectively produce an estimated 25 tons of honey annually, generating over shs 250 million for the district.
Well, the project should come to reality to support groups willing for bee keeping. I chair women group targeting bee farming. We just need fence and beehives. Grateful if supported