By Joseph Mary Buwule
KABAROLE – A 20-member farmer group in Kabarole District has received 200 Kenya Top Bar (KTB) beehives and other beekeeping equipment under the Uganda Climate-Smart Agricultural Transformation Project (UCSATP) in an initiative aimed at boosting honey production, improving household incomes and promoting climate-smart agriculture.
The beneficiary group, known as Kimuhonde Tweyimukye Faithful House Group, comprises farmers from Kimuhonde Cell, Kasisi Ward, Kiko Town Council, who have organised themselves to engage in commercial beekeeping.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), the group has also benefited from training and the provision of essential beekeeping inputs to strengthen its capacity to manage apiaries and increase honey production.
The intervention is part of government efforts to promote apiculture as an alternative income-generating activity while supporting agricultural diversification and climate resilience among rural communities.
With the 200 Kenya Top Bar hives, the farmers are working collectively to expand their honey production to meet the growing demand for honey in nearby Fort Portal City.
The city attracts tourists and other consumers who provide a ready market for honey and other agricultural products, presenting an opportunity for the farmers to improve their earnings through organised commercial production.
Beekeeping is increasingly being promoted as a climate-smart agricultural enterprise because it requires relatively little land, supports biodiversity through pollination and provides farmers with an additional source of income.
Through the UCSATP, government is supporting farmers with knowledge, technologies and productive assets to strengthen agricultural production, improve livelihoods and build resilience to climate-related challenges.
The Kimuhonde Tweyimukye Faithful House Group initiative demonstrates how organised farmer groups can take advantage of government agricultural programmes to develop commercially viable enterprises and tap into emerging market opportunities.
The farmers are expected to use the training and equipment provided to strengthen their beekeeping operations, increase honey production and position themselves to benefit from the expanding market in Fort Portal City and surrounding areas.