Sweet mangrove Honey
South Beach Mangrove area is located at Mji Mwema in Kigamboni, the area attracts
hundreds of people who come to enjoy the stunning white sand beach which starts from
Magogoni Ferry stretching down south towards Pemba Mnazi. Naturally the beach area
has also attracted variety of investor’s small and large scale. Intense human activities in
this beach have affected natural vegetation including mangrove which are the natural
boundary setter between sea and land. It prevents beach erosion effortlessly, since they
are naturally designed for that as well as providing feeding ground for juvenile fish and
habitat for many other coastal and marine creatures. Mtu Chake group, in collaboration
with Tanzania Forest Service’s actively conserve the South Beach mangroves. In order
to benefit more from the mangrove the group would like to keep bees in the mangroves.
At least 300 bee hives, Bees are already observed foraging on rich vegetation in the
area.
Organization of Mtu Chake Group
Mtu Chake is a small group inside the Magogoni BMU. It has ….members, ….women
and …. Men. The leadership comprises of Chair Person, Vice Chair Person, Secretary
and Treasurer. There are also …committee members. The group is registered as self
help group implementing several income generating activities including sea weed
farming and now bee keeping.
. Honey Production
The group intends to install 300 bee hives in the mangrove area. Sign post will be
installed to warn people not use the foot through the mangroves, which in a long run will
encourage re-growth of new mangroves. Mangrove honey is rare honey it’s normally
obtained in the month February before the rain. Using a modern Top Bar hive the group
anticipates producing at least 10kgs per year per hive. In other up country regions e.g.
Singida, Dodoma and Tabora honey production reaches up to 20kgs per hive. Some
reason of low productivity includes high humid air which impacts their flights and
availability of food reduces effort to store large amount of honey.
Benefits of Bee keeping
Bees pollinate cultivated crops such as coconut, sun flowers, sesame, citrus, mangoes,
and wild plants etc. Honey bees generate income through sale of its hive products such
as beeswax which generates income; it makes candles, skin lotions, soap and other
cosmetics and is used in crafts like batik and lost wax casting.
Bee keeping is possible even for people with few resources. Bees are obtained from the
wild. Equipment can be made locally. Bees do not need the bee keeper to feed them.
Bee keeping does not use up land needed for crops. Bees collect where they can, so
wild, cultivated and wasteland areas have value for bee keeping.
Nectar and pollen are not used by other livestock: only bees harvest these resources.
So there is no competition with other animals.
Other local traders benefits by making hive and equipment and from using and selling
the product.
Bee keepers have a financial reason to conserve the environment: ensuring that flowers
are available and bees are protected, especially the critically endangered forest likes
the south beach mangroves.
Bees can be kept by people of all ages. Bees do not need daily care and bee keeping
can be done alongside other activities.
Finally not the list, bee keeping generates income without destroying the environment.
GM Mikoko Ujamaa is a non-government organization (charity organization) in Tanzania, established by Jerome and Benji and become operational operational in 2012. It was established to improve social – economic conditions of girls and women who live in vulnerable conditions. Our vision is an agroforestry transformation in the developing world, resulting in a massive increase in the use of working trees on working landscapes by smallholder rural households that helps ensure security of food, nutrition, income, health, shelter and energy and a regenerated environment. Expanding our forest garden. Tanzania focuses on climate change adaptation and migration, including climate -smart agriculture (CSA),food security and nutrition, bioenergy, tree products, seaweed farming, mangrove restoration and value chains.
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