Honeybee Production and Marketing Systems, Constraints - IPMS ...

gourd (10.8%) and animal skin (2.5%) were used to store honey for short period. However, theseare technically not appropriate storage facilities as they result in serious quality deterioration.4.2.17 Honeybee Feeding and Flora ConditionHoneybees store honey for their own consumption during dearth period. Beekeepers areharvesting honey, which the honeybees stored for themselves. As a result, honeybees facestarvation due to lack of feed. To overcome the problem, supplementary feed is required for thehoneybees. In this study, it was found that 58.3% of the respondents are providingsupplementary feed. The supplementary feeds include beso, shiro, sugar syrup, honey and watermixtures and peeper. In addition to supplementary feeding, planting bee forage is also required toget the intended honey yield. Bee forage determines the amount of honey yield obtained. Theexistence of more bee forage results in high honey production provided that other factors aresuitable for honey production. In the study area, there was no improved bee forage promotionexcept introducing some species by IPMS project like Desmantus spp. However, there was anextension activity, which encourages beekeepers to grow indigenous bee forage. According tothis study 82.5% of beekeepers grow different local bee forages like Tenadam, Girawa, Gesho,Sunflower, Sesbania, Yekelem abat, Wolkef, Wanza, Eucalyptus, and Nuge (scientific name areindicated in Appendix 7.1).Figure 6: Honey bee flora in Bure district63