About 3,750 tonnes of honey were produced in the country last year, according to the federation of beekeepers’ cooperatives in Rwanda.

In June 2014, Rwanda was accredited among third party countries to export honey to the European Union, thanks to the quality compliance of its natural honey. However, supply isn’t meeting the demand, Anselme Nzabonimpa, the president of the federation of beekeepers’ cooperatives in Rwanda told The New Times.

"Though Rwanda’s honey was awarded European Union market, they [buyers in the EU] are requesting us to assure them of a sustainable supply of honey from January 1 to December 31. Yet, honey in Rwanda is harvested only in July, August and September and they needed 20 tonnes of honey per week more than our production capacity then,” he said.

Nzabonimpa added that to get enough honey to export they need to produce at least over 5,000 tonnes of honey per year.

Another concern is that honey that comes from Vietnam and China to the EU market is cheaper, at $4 a kilogramme, compared to Rwandan honey, which goes for $9 a kilogramme on the EU market.

"There are some business people who said they would be giving us $4 per kilogramme once the honey has reached the Kigali International Airport and they would pay for the flight charges themselves. But, we realised that it would be a raw deal for us,” he told The New Times last Thursday.

A kilogramme of honey from beekeepers costs between Rwf2,100 and Rwf2,600.

Nzabonimpa, however, said they have embarked on measures to increase honey produce to meet the EU demand.

He said they had started to prepare bee farmers to have many beehives, and teach them modern beekeeping with the help of Belgian experts.

He talked of the need to negotiate with various foreign businesses with support of Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and other concerned players for good deals.

Jean Marie Vianney Munyaneza, the Manager of Agriculture Diversification and Product Development Division at NAEB, acknowledged that Rwanda’s honey is highly sought for its quality, but insufficient produce and high prices have kept the honey exports to the EU very low.

"Some want a container of honey every month yet, at most, we can be able to supply only say twice [a year], yet the European market requires consistency [in supply],” he said.

Munyaneza said the price of honey is still high, at about Rwf3,000 per kilogramme, due to freight charges [about $2.5 a kilogramme to the EU].

He said adopting use of modern beehives would increase produce, and drive prices and production costs down.

"The beehives we are using are largely traditional, and produce about eight kilogrammes of honey each per year, yet modern ones can produce up to 40 kilogrammes per year.”

Bees forage in very distant areas mainly during the dry season and there is a risk of wind carrying them away and may not to return to the initial hive.

Munyaneza said studies are underway on ways to make feeds for bees to graze upon near their hives during the dry season.

He said they want to make use of the available natural forests and create apiary conducive environment.

He said another means to promoting apiculture is through working with big investors, citing the Apiary Ltd, a Singaporean company which is working with farmers to increase honey production.

The company has promised to engage in the whole honey value chain, including processing and packaging, according to Munyaneza.

Nzabonimpa said among the challenges affecting apiculture is lack of affordable modern beehives.

But there are people who have been trained to make those beehives in the country, and this is expected to hoped to reduce the expenses on imported hives from Brazil, US and Kenya.

He said the move would see a modern beehive price go down from Rwf100,000 for imported one to about Rwf35,000 (locally made), which will make them more affordable.

Other challenges cited include lack of skills and research about bees in the country, resulting into inaccurate data.

Nzabonimpa said this makes it hard to know the diseases affecting bees and how to effectively treat them.Some famers also apply dangerous pesticides to bees, he added.

Beatrice Uwumukiza, the Coordinator of Rwanda Agriculture and Livestock Inspection and Certification Services (RALIS) at the Ministry of Agriculture, said since Rwanda’s honey got quality certification to enter the EU market, until now, no problem has emerged about the honey samples that Rwanda took to European accredited laboratories in terms of residues, such as pesticides and anti-biotics.

She said, every year, they make reports on the state of Rwanda’s honey in the EU Commission.

She said they sensitise bee farmers on hygiene along the entire honey production chain, including the apiary and the honey harvesting as well as collection centres.

"By so doing honey quality will be assured,” she said.

She added that there are cooperatives which are working toward getting standards certification from the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).

Since July 2015, some 3,550 kilogrammes (3.55 tonnes) of honey were exported, according to Uwumukiza.

The honey demand in Rwanda is estimated to be at least 4,500 tonnes per year.

The country expects to produce 7,100 tonnes of honey by 2017.

According to Nzabonimpa, there are about 35,000 known beekeepers in the country, estimated 90,000 modern beehives, and 200,000 traditional beehives.

Under the Agriculture Sector Development Strategy (ASDS), modern beehives are set to be increased to 322,007 by 2020, which will help increase the tonnage of honey produced in the country.

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