The country’s honey sector is set to see its production increase after investors showed interest to inject in U$3 million.
The company on August 17, 2015 announced its interest to boost the country’s honey in production and buy produce as an agreement with Rwanda cooperatives.
According to the report, once about $ 3 million is released it would enable the investor to work directly with the honey producers to upgrade their knowledge including accessing modern equipment in a bid to increase productivity as the investor buys all the produced honey and supply it to international markets.
While the initiative is aimed at streamlining country’s Agriculture, State Minister for Agriculture Tony Nsanganira is optimistic the development will see beekeepers enhance their knowledge and use modern hives not only to increase production, but also meet export standards.
Statistically, last year Rwanda’s beekeepers produced around 4000 metric tons of honey.
The third phase of the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA III) in Rwanda envisages that honey production should be more than 8000 metric tons by 2017/18.
Beekeepers get access to the Singaporean market while the country got a certificate to export its honey to European market since June last year.
So far Rwanda counts around 80,000 honey producers owning more than 90,000 hives of which 70% are traditional hives, the State Minister told journalists, adding that a traditional beehive can produce between 3 and 5 kg of honey while a modern beehive can produce up to 90 kg per year; hence a great need to increase modern hives.
Rwanda’s Beekeepers operate in areas including Akagera, Nyungwe, Gishwati and Virunga.