Zomba communities encouraged to embrace beekeeping
Communities in Zomba have been advised to venture into small scale agri-business investments such as beekeeping as way of improving their social economic status.
Zomba District Forestry Officer Amon Kabango said it is now time for people in Zomba to start thinking outside the box and start exploring new innovations for the betterment of their lives.
Kabango was speaking in Chingale during the training of beekeeping project currently being implemented in the area using constituency development fund (CDF).
“Beekeeping can help diversify communities source of income as honey fetches more money once sold and can also help in reducing wanton cutting down of trees as people will no longer rely on charcoal selling as they have found an alternative means of earning money,” he said
He added that the adoption of beekeeping will even help the in reducing cases of malnutrition and improve health of the people as honey is highly nutritious.’
Member of Parliament for Zomba Chingale constituency, Wallace Chawawa said the area is always prone to hunger crisis due to drought and beekeeping will help communities to earn money which they can use to buy food.
‘Beekeeping only require three months before you start harvesting which means in a year one would harvest four times unlike crop farming where you harvest once a year and this will help improving food security here”, he said
One of the beneficiaries, Bertha Stephano hailed the district forestry department for the training saying they will ensure they take care of the beehives by formulating bylaws to safeguard the project.
During the training, the communities were equipped with basic beekeeping skills and were also given start up beehives, bee-suits and gloves.
Atleast 100 households are expected to benefit from the project and it will cost K3.5 million from constituency development fund.
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