Transforming Agriculture through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (Trade) Programme has trained about 3 838 farmers from Nkhata Bay and Rumphi districts in modern beekeeping and harvesting techniques.

In an interview on Friday, Trade programme knowledge management and communications officer Oscar Ulili said farmers learned how to improve the quality of their honey to maximise profits.

“Production per beehive is low and there is generally a lack of improved bee harvesting skills as farmers use fire which kills bees so they are not able to harvest twice,” he said.

Farmers learn how to harvest honey

Rumphi district Trade programme cluster coordinator Blessings Sitima said through Trade programme, service providers such as Small and Medium Enterprise Development Institute (Smedi) and Find Your Feet are training farmers modern colony allocation, quality production and harvesting techniques.

He also said Smedi and Find Your Feet have helped farmers to buy processing machines and linked them to markets.

“Trade programme seeks to help farmers embrace agriculture commercialisation and diversification to improve their economic wellbeing. The farmers are now able to harvest,” said Sitima.

Chairperson of Chitimba Beekeeping Club in Rumphi, Stephen Mughogho, said the new markets will buy 30 litres of honey at K120 000 compared to K90 000 per 30 liters with the previous markets.

Trade programme is being hosted under the Ministry of Local Government, Unity and Culture with support from International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and OPec Fund for International Development (OFID).

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