2024/06/26 by Achalu Haile Tolawak, Demissu Hundie Senbeta, Desalegn Begna
#Bee forage #Honey production #Indigenous knowledges #Production practices
paper · doi:10.20372/star.v13i2.03
This study was aimed at assessing the practices and identifying opportunities and major constraints of honey production in Toke-Kutaye district. Based on the availability and potential for honey production, 180 families were selected randomly from six kebeles in the district. Questionnaire surveys, focus group discussions, and field observations were used for data collection, and a statistical package for the social sciences was used for data analysis. About 97.8% of honey producers were male in the present study area, whereas only a few (2.2%) were female. The traditional honey production system was the most commonly practiced honey production system in the study area. The frequency of honey harvesting, even in similar agroecologies, was different from hive to hive. Use of pesticides and herbicides, chemicals, a lack of beekeeping and safety equipment, and less access to extension services were among the main constraints identified in the study area. However, the study area identified several main opportunities for honey production, including rich bee forage, year-round water sources, and reliable indigenous knowledge of bee production.