Nhau News Online News that is accurate, reliable, trustworthy!!
A Bulawayo based company has embarked on a series of awareness campaigns to educate Zimbabweans on the importance of bees, their benefit to the economy as well as how they help preserve the ecosystem for our own benefit.
Bee’s Honey Company (BHC) began the robust campaign in Bulawayo today (Saturday) as part of its World Bee Day commemorations running under the theme “Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production”.
World Bee Day is celebrated on May 20 every year. It is a day set aside by the United Nations (UN) to celebrate the works of bee keeping pioneer Anton Janša, born in 1734.
The purpose of the day is to acknowledge the role of bees and other pollinators, and help build ecosystems around the world.
Bees play an important role in the growth of 90 percent of the world’s wildflower plants and 35 percent of crops globally depend on bees to grow.
As an agricultural hub, Zimbabwe has not lagged behind in terms of beekeeping with companies such as BHC springing in action to support pollinator-friendly agriculture production.
Bulawayo businessman Mr Welcome Bhila, BHC’s Chief Technical Director told Nhau/Indaba that as a company they were trying to make communities realise the importance of bees through projects and sensitisation awareness campaigns as well as trainings.
“Bees play a very important role when it comes to the survival of humankind. About 75 percent of the food we eat is pollinated by bees and bees need us more than we need them. As we commemorate the day, BHC is going to embark on an awareness campaign in Bulawayo which will spread to other towns in the coming weeks.
“The main reason for the programme is that most of the people in Zimbabwe are not well informed about bees. They think bees are harmful insects whereas they only sting as a defence mechanism when they feel threatened. Once they sting they die and it will be a loss to the ecosytem and production. Hence it is our duty as people who work with bees to create awareness among the communities,” he said.
Bhila said they have since initiated a commercial approach which seeks to empower members of the surrounding communities by training them how to keep bees while purchasing honey from them for processing, packacking and distribution under the Bee’s Pure Honey Brand.
“We want communities to realise that thet they can actually earn a living through bee keeping. The catch is that when they take care of the bees they jealously guard their forests against cutting down of trees, veld fires and other environmentaly unfriendly practices. At the end of the day it will be a win-win situation for everyone, that is, protection of our bees and the environment as well as beneficiation.”
Due to BHC’s employment creation and empowerment programme for rural communities, it was recently contracted by government to kick-start the establishment of a commercial bee-keeping project in Umguza District, which will benefit more than 500 families.
The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has set aside ZW$178 million as a launchpad for the area’s rural industrialisation thrust through the Umguza Apiculture Employment Promotion Programme (UAEPP).
Headquartered in Bulawayo, BHC was established in 2016 and currently employs over 10 permanent employees and 40 Agents countrywide.
It has a bee hive manufacturing workshop, honey processing plant, honey buying centre as well as a honey training facility.
They have also spread their wings to Harare where there is a commercial office currently setting up it’s own facilities independent from Bulawayo.
Bhila said they were also expanding their operations by establishing a beekeeping academy, bee research centre and a honey bank capable of storing 50 tonnes of honey.
So far they have over 4000 hives under their care with an annual honey output of 10 tonnes. They have also trained over 5 000 people to date. Nhau/Indaba
