The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO) has advised the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) and farmers in general to use friendly pesticides/chemicals to spray crops.
TUNADO says the use of dangerous chemicals is harmful to bees and it is the factor behind the decreasing the population of bees in the country, yet the insect is important in pollinating crops.
Josephine Ujjeo Mamawi, the director of honey processors in Uganda, warns that if the bees go away, people will go with them because there will be nothing to pollinate crops.
“We are asking NARO to use more friendly pesticides that don’t harm bees as you do your work because if our crop is not pollinated, then what shall we eat,” she says.
TUNADO is the apex body recognised by the public and the government. It co-ordinates all value chain actors in the apiculture industry
It is also a membership body that unites producers (beekeepers), processors, packers, service providers, development partners, government and all other stakeholders towards apiculture development in Uganda.
It has 356 registered members and some of which are co-operative societies.
Ugandans are further urged to join beekeeping because it is less costly and easy to manage.
In the long-run, a beekeeper makes a lot of money more than an ordinary farmer who grows sunflower, maize and soybean.
TUNADO says the Government is committed to promoting sustainable farming, tourism and socio-economic progress of the population.
It says beekeeping is a low input, high impact and sustainable green investment.
“The apiculture value chain creates many jobs for the input dealer, direct beekeeper, processor, trainer, forage farmers,” the bee-keeping body adds.
Common bee products are pure honey, honey wine, propolis tinker, beeswax, cough syrups and local beehives.
Robert Okodia, the chief executive officer of Wimrob Bee Company, urges farmers to embrace bee-keeping if they are to kick out poverty from the household.
He says bees are important insects, adding that millions of people across the world survive because of the existence of bees.
