Kabompo — THE North Western Bee Products has earned a Germany fair trade certification for its honey.

General manager Bob Malichi on Friday told United Nations Development Programme resident representative Aeneas Chuma that the company has been growing at a fast rate especially in the past three years.

He attributed the growth of the company to commitment of workers and out grower beekeepers.

He said last year alone, the company had a bumper harvest and exported 144 metric tonnes of honey to Germany and the United Kingdom.

Malichi said there was tremendous demand for organic honey in the United Kingdom and Germany.

He said the company's honey was organic and was fairly traded hence the German certification.

He explained the certification was one of the highest ratings on the world market for bee products.

"Our only threat is China which produces massive quantities of honey," Malichi said.

He said North Western Bee Products was the second largest employer in the province after the government.

He said the company had 6,472 registered beekeepers and boasted his company had tremendously contributed to poverty reduction within its catchment area covering Mwinilunga, Kabompo, Mufumbwe, Solwezi and Kasempa districts.

He told Chuma, honey was costing 1,200 British Pounds per tonne while bee wax was costing 2,300 British Pounds per tonne.

Malichi said they were targeting to produce 54 metric tonnes of honey this season.

He said the company was now refocusing on looking at the plight of women by encouraging their involvement in bee keeping.

Chuma expressed happiness that the company had not folded after the pull-out of the UNDP.

UNDP supported the establishment of the honey-processing factory based in Kabompo.