20 September 2007
Nairobi — The European Union has donated Sh13 million to boost beekeeping management in the country.
Over 3,000 bee farmers in seven projects country wide will benefit by receiving beehives, harvesting gear and training, to increase the current low levels of honey production.
The money to be disbursed by the Community Development Trust Fund, an arm of the EU through the Biodiversity Conservation Programme, will target projects in Coast and Rift Valley provinces.
According to the fund's technical officer Solomon Ngari, the EU grant will also be used to bring together stake holders to finalise the existing draft on beekeeping, the production chain and marketing.
Beekeeping
In a statement, he said that beekeeping has the potential to contribute Sh12 billion to the economy, but only a small amount is being realised. "Currently, only 25,700 tonnes is being produced, which is very low," Mr Ngari said.
Meanwhile, the EU has also donated Sh1.4 billion (16 million euros) to reduce poverty through rural development programmes.
The five-year programme is targeted at empowering local communities and institutions that support local government. Some of the 175 local authorities were created without looking at capacity requirements, with low revenue bases, and to a large extent neglected for over 20 years.
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