Beekeeping Productivity: Why is the Beekeeping Sector less Productive in Tanzania?

Abstract

Why is the beekeeping sector in Tanzania less productive? The average annual productivity of a bee colony is estimated to be 15 kgs and 2 kgs of honey and wax respectively. But the condition is Tanzania scandalous: Why is it the case? The study analyses the potential challenges to the underperformance of bee colonies in Tanzania. This study used an experimental design, and qualitative approach to analyze the productivity of bee colonies in Tanzania. The sample was selected through a purposive approach and data were collected through interviews and observation. The Current-Tree-Reality of the Thinking Process techniques was used to identify constraints that limit the productivity of the beekeeping sector in Tanzania. Size of the colony, bee species, availability of fodder, technology, knowledge and skills, and post-harvest losses were constantly mentioned as underlying factors limiting productivity in the beekeeping sector. Other factors include occupancy rate, human activities like farming/agriculture, bee diseases, and pests and predators. We concluded that the size of the colony, availability of fodder, and bee species are the limiting factors for colony productivity in Tanzania. A study on bee breeding, colony selection, and productive bee species is suggested. The study provides empirical evidence and theoretical understanding of beekeeping, colony productivity, and theory of constraints to researchers, beekeepers, and policymakers.

Perspective Chapter: Business Ecosystems – A Structure to Commercialize Value Chain of Rural Economies in Developing Areas

“…But, this opportunity is not fully utilized: For example, most crops as well as forest products (both timber and nontimber forest resources) are marketed in raw form with little or no value addition [6,7,17]. Also, rural markets are yet to be explored and are currently served by the unorganized sector that is often inefficient and controlled by local middlemen [24][25][26]. The dilemma, however, has been the inability of rural firms to capture these markets: the inability to convert the unorganized/unstructured and fragmented rural markets into organized markets [15,26].…”