Lari farmers go for modern beekeping as demand for honey soars

Farmers in Lari subcounty are embracing modern beekeeping and moving away from the traditional method.

A 60km drive takes us to Lari in Kiambu county, where we meet Peter Mbugua, director of Tendo Apiaries, who is known in the area for his work in promoting modern beekeeping.

He has taken up the role of training farmers and schools on modern beekeeping and value addition.

Modern beekeeping is an emerging industry in Kenya, which is driven by the demand for honey due to the health benefits. It is also source of livelihood for many households.

Mbugua says they are introducing modern beekeeping by providing equipment to farmers and schools.

His organisation recently donated equipment to the environment club in Gatamaiyu High School in Kagwe, Lari subcounty. 

He said they are transitioning to modern beekeeping because the traditional method is time consuming and unfriendly to the environment and bees.

Tendo does outreaches all over the country to educate people about sustainable beekeeping.

“We are moving people to the traditional way of killing bees to harvest honey in the modern way. You do not have to destroy or chase away the bees to harvest honey, and this is one of the social aspects of the shift,” he said.

On the environmental aspect, Mbugua  said that bees pollinate more than 70 per cent of the crops.

According to Mbugua, a farmer with a beehive is likely to get 30 per cent higher yields than the one without because of effective pollination from the bees.

Besides honey, there are also other hive products from the beekeeping business. 

“You also get bee wax, propolis which is medicinal, royal jelly and bee venom used for joint pains. Farmers can add value and cash in on these hive products. At Tendo Apiaries, we train farmers and interested persons on modern keeping and value addition,” he said.

Modern beehives include the Kenya top bar hive gives 8-10 kg of honey, depending on how active the colony is.

There is also the standard langstroth gives 10kg of raw honey in harvest, while the deep super langstroth gives 18-20kg. 

“You can do multiple harvests in a year but this depends on availability of forage such as flowers or other resources that the bees need, or bee botany (bee friendly vegetation). Secondly, it will also depend on how strong the colony is,” he said.

Foragers are all female bees that are not fertile. They are called forages because they not only gather honey but also pollen, propolis and they also bring water into the bee hive.

Propolis is a complex mixture made by bee-released and plant-derived compounds.

Mbugua said through support from a bee keeper in the US, they have been donating modern beehives to farmers and, recently, to an environmental club in a nearby school.

Miriam Syoum, who resides in New York, has partnered with Tendo Apiaries to source for equipment, which she donates to farmers and schools.

“Witnessing firsthand the positive impact this initiative had on people's lives affirmed my belief in the power of beekeeping as a catalyst for change,” she said.

Syoum traces her roots to Ethiopia and Eritrea, places where she embraced beekeeping as a cherished hobby at the tender age of five, alongside her father.

“As I got older, I found myself drawn to the idea of using my passion for beekeeping as a force for good in communities. Inspired by the potential of beekeeping to transform lives, particularly in regions like Kenya, where it's a thriving industry, I made it my mission to give back," she said. 

"I began by reinvesting the proceeds from selling my honey into sponsoring individuals in need with essential beekeeping equipment.” 

She has a non-profit organisation called Honey Le Mar. 

“Presently, my commitment to this cause remains steadfast. I continue to raise funds, fuelled by the desire to expand our reach and provide even more individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to sustain themselves through beekeeping," she said.

"It's a journey that fills me with immense fulfilment, knowing that something as simple as beekeeping can foster such profound positive change in communities.”

Martin Karega, a field officer with Tendo who offers technical support to communities and schools on beekeeping, said they are building the capacity of the students to enrich the school curriculum for environmental conservation, as well as earn an income through sale of honey.

“With this training, some of the students within the environment club will undertake beekeeping as an income-generating activity in future, and can also create jobs within the value chain of beekeeping,” he said.