By Valentine Oforo, Dar es Salaam
THE European Union (EU) has expressed commitment to support the initiatives that fosters gender equality and provides opportunity for women participation in the beekeeping, and honey value addition in Tanzania.
The assurance has been unveiled by Head of Natural Resources at the European Delegation in Tanzania, representing the European Union (EU), Lamine Diallo during his remarks at the opening of the country’s maiden honey show exhibition, Tanzania Honey Show 2024.
He emphasized that gender inclusion in the beekeeping sector, especially empowering women beekeepers to venture more wide and professional in honey processing and value addition was necessary for the sustainable development of the apiculture industry in Tanzania.
Diallo said Tanzania is globally renowned for high quality honey which is being exported to various international markets, contributing significantly to the economy of the country, but efforts must be put in place to attract more women in the sector.
“It is for this reason that EU is a committed partner in supporting beekeeping industry in Tanzania,” he said.
According to him, EU is financing a total of 10 million euros, equivalent to TShs 28 billion, through implementing Beekeeping Value Chain Support (BEVAC) project in Tanzania, the critical initiative dedicating to enhancing beekeeping value chain in Tanzania.
“The project, BEVAC, is being implemented by Enabel, the Belgian Development Agency through funds from European Union (EU), and it operates under the coordination of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and it has already impacted more than 4,100 beekeepers and other stakeholders in Tanzania, including women beekeepers,” he said.
Through the project, he informed that a number of local beekeepers have already been trained to implement more technique and suitable practices, added: “This initiative is essential for enhancing productivity and ensuring production of high quality honey, as well as other bee products,”
He added that the EU was working to open new markets for the Tanzania’s honey, both locally and internationally, the initiatives which go in tandem with initiatives on quality standards and certification to help expanding marketability and competitiveness of Tanzania’s honey at the global stage.
“Particularly, the projects is putting in place the laboratory equipment at the National beekeeping Laboratory with an eye to strengthen the country’s capacity in analyzing and provide certified assurances of the quality of the Tanzanians honey as per the international standards,” he observed.
Another particular contribution by the project is construction of a modern dormitory for sheltering women students at the Tabora-based Beekeeping Training Institute (BTI), at a cost of around 1million Euro, according to him.
In her remarks to grace the three-day event which is taking shape at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre (JNICC) under the theme of ‘Beyond Hives, Beyond Boarders’, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Angellah Kairuki hailed the EU for their continued efforts to support the sector.
The Minister said the beekeeping sub-sector was employing over 2 million people in the country and despite offering numerous socioeconomic benefits from individual to the national level its players are lacking needed financial assistance.
“The government values the supports that are being injected by different stakeholders towards supporting the local beekeepers to transform their executives,” she appreciated.
And the Minister added that the event which has been organized by the Tanzania Honey Junction (THC) in collaboration with BEVAC, the Tanzania Honey Show Exhibitions 2024, serves as a crucial podium for the country to prepare to host the 50th edition of the International Apicultural Congress, Apimondia Congress to be held in 2027 in Arusha.
“This event expands invitations to interested beekeeping actors worldwide to attend the upcoming Apimondia congress as well as enhancing national promotion,” she said.
“The exhibition event facilitates cross-learning between various national and international value chain actors, government agencies, financial institutions, non-governmental organizations, extension officers, BSOs, and individual players like input providers, beekeepers, aggregators, processors, and exporters of bee products.”
