Effective inclusion of smallholder Farmers in honey value chain in Tanzania. a case of Igulwa, Buntubili and Msonga villages in Bukombe District
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Date
2015-07-28
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St John's University of Tanzania
Abstract
Bukombe district is among the areas in Tanzania with high potential of beekeeping due to its ecological suitability for miombo woodland and thus for beekeeping. The main actors in honey value chain in the district are smallholder farmers, traders, central and local governments and private money lenders. This study finds out that the regulating bodies in the district are less strict about applying beekeeping regulation to smallholder farmers. Majority of beekeeping farmers do not have access to processing facilities, lacking incentives, extension services are insufficient and also these farmers lack information on market and market price. Access to reliable honey market, bureaucracy on issuing permit to enter into game reserve, problem of quality and processing and packaging materials, are major challenges facing the smallholder farmers in the three selected villages of Bukombe district. The study also found out that the benefit of bees and honey for the majority of smallholder farmers are not fully realized because governance arrangement give power to other actors in honey value chain to set price for bee products; for example, beekeeping policy provide that the pricing of bee products and services from private and government will be based on free market value. The findings also discovered that beekeeping activities in the district are dominated by men where only few women keep bees
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smallholder farmers, beekeeping, value chain