Beekeeping is among the most profitable agribusinesses in Uganda.
As we continue to celebrate the World Bee Day, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal, Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) takes this opportunity to encourage all Ugandan farmers to take beekeeping as a serious alternative business.
There could also be other things connected to beekeeping from which you can earn some good money. Below are some of the many ways you can earn money if you start bee keeping at your farm.
Honey
This is the most obvious yield from beekeeping and it is a highly marketable product because it has gained popularity among many consumers.
They often use it in the place of refined sugar which makes it a healthier option. You harvest up to five jerry cans of honey from 60 hives.
You just have to put enough water for the bees to make more hone as well as pineapple and yellow banana peels in your apiary so that the bees do not have to go far away looking for them and these help in the formation of sweeter honey.
You can sell each kilogramme at Shs10,000 when on bulk purchases and Shs1,000 per spoonful.
Bees wax
After harvesting the honey there are combs that remain without honey called beeswax. It is used primarily as a building block for the bees’ honeycomb cells in which the young ones are raised and honey and pollen stored. The wax can be converted into many different products including candles, soap, and lip balm. Beeswax prices can vary widely depending on its quality and colour.
You can sell a kilogramme of bee wax at Shs500 or more. The wax can be used as wax sheets for hive baits, bees wax blocks for sale and making candles, floor polish and skin care products.
Propolis
Propolis or bee glue is a sticky mixture that honey bees produce by mixing saliva and beeswax with exudate gathered from tree buds, sap flows and other botanical sources.
The propolis is said to have a variety of medical uses including treatment of sores, bone diseases, acting as an antioxidant used in the prevention of cancer, and boosting immunity.
Propolis can be used to treat warts and may help in the treatment of food poisoning. Because of the many advantages, propolis alone ensures a farmer earns more cash than honey. You can sell each litre of propolis at Shs30,000.
Because of its antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, propolis has an outstanding value for a wide variety of illnesses. It is also used as ointments for healing cuts and wounds.
Bee pollen
Bee pollen granules are a “super food” that can boost immunity and provide other health-related benefits such as minimising seasonal allergies, treating osteoporosis, and acting as an antioxidant.
Bee pollen is growing in popularity at natural food stores, health stores, and some drugstores. It can get royal jelly which is the queen bee’s extraordinary source of food.
Other advantages
Plays an excellent role in pollination. Honey bees are the best pollinating agents which help in increasing the yield of several crops like Coffee and many fruit trees.
According to the recent studies, the honey bees’ venom contains a mixture of proteins which can potentially be used as a prophylactic to destroying the HIV virus that causes AIDS in humans.
Credit: Office of the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries Uganda
