February 10 2023
We are excited to be receiving the first in-country update from Richard and Jane Ridler on a brand new project in Uganda. The project, named Bees4U, is in partnership with Amigos Worldwide and focused on training rural beekeeping groups.
Our role is to support and enhance Amigos’ work on development with rural communities. Through training on beekeeping best practices, we hope to increase impact by supporting increased crop yields for farmers, and diversifying and increasing income sources through honey and value added products derived from the beehive.
Last week Richard and Jane visited Gulu in the Northern Region of Uganda with our partner Amigos Uganda. As part of the planning of this project, they are exploring how best to increase the honey yield of 400 existing hives and the opportunity to add more.
One of the key focus areas during this visit was coaching the local Amigos staff in a systematic approach to assessing apiaries and advising participant farmers on what is required to improve their apiaries to maximise yield.
Richard and Jane also wanted to learn about how beekeepers typically sell their honey and began with a visit to huge central market. Soon enough, they found this honey in unmarked containers for sale next to ground nut paste.
Around the apiaries Richard and Jane visited in Gulu, there were many mango trees in flower. There is amazing potential for honey from each tree. The mangos will be ripe in May and if farmers have hung hives in those trees, there will be a bumper crop of mangos!
Bees Abroad
The Keepers
Symn Lane
Wotton-under-Edge
Gloucestershire
GL12 7BD, UK
Telephone: (+44) 07942 815753
Info@beesabroad.org.uk
