Honey output rises to 500 tonnes
DODOMA: A Tanzanian youth-owned honey business has raised annual production from 350 tonnes to 500 tonnes after expanding its operations with support from the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), and is now targeting an ambitious 1,500 tonnes a year. Central Park Bees, which markets its products under the Swahili Honey brand, now works with more … The post Honey output rises to 500 tonnes appeared first on Daily News.
Black News 
DODOMA: A Tanzanian youth-owned honey business has raised annual production from 350 tonnes to 500 tonnes after expanding its operations with support from the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB), and is now targeting an ambitious 1,500 tonnes a year.
Central Park Bees, which markets its products under the Swahili Honey brand, now works with more than 3,000 beekeepers organised into 30 groups across eight regions.
The expansion has taken the company from a four-region operation to a national network stretching across Dodoma, Iringa, Njombe, Geita, Tabora, Singida, Shinyanga and Kagera.
Central Park Bees Operations Manager Elinenyi Robert said access to financing and capacity building had helped transform the scale of the business.
“Before the support, production stood at 350 tonnes a year. It has now reached 500 tonnes, and our next target is 1,500 tonnes,” he said.
The company is also changing how small-scale farmers enter commercial beekeeping.
Through its “borrow a beehive, repay with honey” model, farmers receive modern beehives and repay their value through honey production over three years.
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About 6,000 beehives, valued at approximately Sh80,000 each, have so far been provided to farmers, alongside training in modern beekeeping and quality production.
Three of the company’s beekeeper groups have also obtained organic certification, allowing their products to meet international standards and access export markets.
Its honey is now sold in Tanzania and abroad, including Kenya, Britain and the United States.
TADB Central Zone Manager Yodas Mwanakatwe said beekeeping was emerging as a strategic value chain because of its economic, environmental and social benefits.
For Central Park Bees, however, the biggest harvest may still be ahead.
From 350 tonnes to 500 was the breakthrough. The race to 1,500 tonnes has now begun.
The post Honey output rises to 500 tonnes appeared first on Daily News.
