Coastal region farmers are getting trained on honey harvesting using modern kits and beehives. With the new beehives, a farmer can harvest honey up to six times a year. Photo courtesy.
Beekeepers along the coastal region are now recording up to 60 kilos of honey produced per year using modern hives such as langstroth, catcher box and Kenya top bar as opposed to traditional hives which yielded a maximum of 30 kilos of honey per year.
The modern beehives which are made by Mombasa Coast Beekeepers, a workshop based in Mtwapa among other manufacturers in the region have their honey combs separated to allow rapid extraction of honey up to six times a year.
“Most farmers in this region who were using traditional could only harvest honey only twice a year and colony inspection was also made difficult due to unseparated honey combs,” said Boniface Matolo, Mombasa Coast Beekeepers co-founder.
The workshop which was started in 2009 has been working with farmers’ organisations and groups in the region that order for the manufacturing of the hives for distribution to farmers.
Mombasa Coast Beekeepers hives being loaded at Mtwapa workshop to be transported to farmers. The workshop makes over 100 hives per month.
One such organization is World Vision World Vision International, an international Christian humanitarian organization that helps different groups in the society fight poverty through resilient agricultural practices. The organisation from time to time orders for hives to give to farmers and train them on production of honey and other bee products.
“We produce 100 beehives per month and 20 per week which are done on order from farmers and organisations working closely with the producers,” said Matolo.
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In a season a farmer can harvest between 10 and 15 kilos of honey using the hives and applying best practices in beekeeping which is also provided by Mombasa Coast Beekeepers to its customers.
Accoding to Matolo, a kilo of raw honey which has not been refined goes at Sh400 while that which has been cleaned up costs Sh600-800 depending on the market.
“Farmers we have worked with over the years sell their produce to different buyers at their own negotiated price but for those who might get it difficult to find market we chip in,” he said.
Mombasa Coast Beekeepers can be reached on +254 0710 254 770/+254702550676