NEWS– Bee keepers in Kabere parish, Muko Sub County Rubanda district have asked the government to support them with modern beehives and Beekeeping protective gears, in order to boost their business.
They revealed this on Thursday at Nyakatooma Church of Uganda during a meeting to evaluate community groups who have been equipped with different skills under “Striking a balance developing a green economy around Lake Bunyonyi basin” project. The project that is phasing out this year has been implemented by Self-help Africa and African International Christian Ministry (AICM) partnering with Kabale and Rubanda Districts local government with support from Irish Aid.
The Chairperson of Nyakatooma Bee keepers group Boniface Bukiriro a model Beekeeper with over 100 Beehives and Levicato Tukamushaba said that one modern beehive costs about Ugx 90,000 in Kabale town which is costly for them to buy many hives to boost their business.
The duo added that the price of beekeeping protective gears goes for over Ugx 200,000 that discourages other people from joining the business. Bukiriro and Tukamushaba want the government to offer those modern beehives and the protective gears so as to help farmers improve harvests from this activity to encourage other members to join them. They say that modern beehives attract bees more than the local ones.
CUE IN……..BEEKEEPERS NARRATING RR//
Speaking during the meeting, the Rubanda district senior Entomologist, Rose Kyabato said that the district leadership has already promised to procure a combined carpentry machine which will be put at the district to manufacture modern beehives at the district headquarters so that they are given to willing bee keepers at a very subsidized rate.
Kyabato however encouraged other Bee keepers in the district to register with the office of the Entomologist to help them in getting bee harvesting protective gears from Uganda National Apiculture Development Organization at a cheaper price.
CUE IN………KYABATO ON BEEKEEPERS RR/ENG/
The Executive Director of AICM Denis Mucunguzi said that the training objective of these local beekeepers was to help them acquire relevant knowledge in modern beekeeping techniques specifically on hive setup and maintenance, caring for bees and beehives, apiary management, honey harvesting and storage techniques.
</a>
