While the mainstay of the East, Central and Southern Africa economies has been agriculture, the sub-region has all along ignored the economy diversification potential of the beekeeping sub-sector. Eyes have always been fixed on crop and animal husbandry.

Even in the event of considering beekeeping, concentration has been on honey, forgetting byproducts like bees wax, bee venom and royal jelly used in people’s daily life as food or medicine.

Beekeeping has the multiplier effect on the agricultural industry through the bee pollination function which has a direct bearing on many crops yield capacity.

Bee keeping helps to raise the productivity of small farmers as it enables them earn more income from the same area of land with minimal investment.

Beekeeping means diversification for the sub-region economies, higher small farmer income and livelihoods and is good for the environment.