Economic Growth Madagascar Project #24228

Safeguard Bees and Beekeepers in Madagascar

by SEED Madagascar

Project Report | Jan 24, 2024
Promoting Sustainable Beekeeping in Madagascar

By Alex Cook | Programmes and Office Assistant

A local beekeeper uses a honey extractor.

Since 2016, Project Renitantely (Malagasy for honeybee) has supported beekeepers in the remote Anosy region to improve beekeeping as a viable and sustainable livelihood. Since the project’s inception, SEED has helped develop efficient beekeeping practices for over 80 individuals across six rural communities in the Anosy region. These efforts have resulted in increased honey yields, which both provides long term sustainable income and a reliable source of food, while also protecting the region’s rich biodiversity.

In 2023 alone, beekeepers expanded their apiaries with the construction of 48 new modern hives. Moreover, SEED facilitated the expansion of beekeeping as a livelihood by helping 16 new beekeeping businesses attain hive codes from the Regional ministry. Finally, SEED distributed 465 fruit tree seedlings and 155 vegetable seed packages to supplement the bees’ foraging, an act that also generated an estimated additional 522,400 MGA ($115 USD/£90 GBP) from subsequent fruit and vegetable harvests.

Beekeepers further benefited from the donation of honey extractors, which spin a whole hive frame to separate the honey from its comb. Using this tool allows bees to quickly continue honey production without needing to rebuild the comb, and allows beekeepers to quickly process more honeycombs. Consequently, both the bees and their keepers can produce more honey, increasing the beekeeper’s output and income.

In 2024, SEED will continue working with local experts to facilitate a sustainable, community-centered approach to beekeeping. By conducting monthly monitoring visits to each beekeeper, the experts will ensure that beekeepers are maintaining healthy hives, expanding their apiaries, and planting fruit and vegetable seeds to create a healthy environment and forage for the bees. These actions collectively increase honeybee health, thereby facilitating crop production, which ultimately provides nutritious food and income to countless familes in a sustainable way. We are grateful for the generosity of the many donors who have helped promote a sustainable and healthy livelihood for the bees, beekeepers, and their families and communities.

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Sep 27, 2023
BEEKEEPING VENTURE IN MADAGASCAR

By Betty Gisore | Programmes and Office Assistant, SEED Madagascar

Madagascar is globally renowned for its rich biodiversity. In spite of this, it remains one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries ranking 161/189 on human development index and 78% of its population live on less than US$ 1.90 per day. Beekeeping is one of the income generating activities for rural areas like Anosy region, and has the potential of contributing more than 50% of households’ income. Moreover, beekeeping is not culturally prohibited for women, thus making it a viable venture for anyone who is interested.

SEED has been working with local communities to support households to build new hives and to populate them with bees. By April 2023, project participants were provided with fruit trees and vegetable seedlings to plant near their apiaries. These were to supplement nectar available for bees, and help reduce their migration during the winter season (between May and August), when bees’ food is limited. In addition to that, the resulting vegetable produce was to provide an extra income to the project participants.

Out of the vegetable seeds that were distributed earlier in the year, petsai, courgette and tomatoes have already been harvested and altogether contributed to an estimated additional income of US $115.58. The lychee trees around the apiaries are already flowering and the bees that had migrated are coming back. This September, the honey will be ready for harvesting and sale.

There are plans to recruit beekeepers from current project communities and new communities in Phase II of this project, which is currently in development. Outreach efforts have started in order to gauge the interest of the new potential participants. Much continues to be achieved under this project because of the support we receive from generous donors and we are grateful.

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May 30, 2023
New Hives and Preparing for Madagascar's Winter

By Lauren Carrick | Programmes and Office Assistant

Project Renitantely beekeepers are highly skilled and motivated, yet they often lack the necessary capital to invest in their business. To support beekeepers in expanding their beekeeping enterprises, SEEDs project has been focussing on growing their apiaries. Last February, we provided beekeepers with subsidised materials to build new hives and we’re pleased to say that between September 2022 and April 2023, the total number of hives successfully increased from 344 to 453!

Alongside increasing the total number of hives available, it is also essential that the empty hives are populated with bee colonies. Using methods such as hive splitting from communal bee banks and catching wild colonies with swarm attractant, SEED’s beekeeping technicians have been providing practical support to help populate the new hives.

While the project continues to progress, the main challenge for the upcoming months will be to ensure that the bees remain in the hive throughout May to August, which marks the winter season in southeast Madagascar. With temperatures dropping, it will be harder for the bees to find sufficient nectar. As a result, whole colonies might abscond from the hive in a desperate search for food. To supplement the available forage for the bees, the beekeepers were recently provided with fruit tree seedlings and vegetable seeds to plant near their apiaries. The flowering plants will provide bees with some extra food during the colder months, whilst the crops also provide additional food security benefits to beekeepers. During this period, beekeepers won’t harvest honey, as it is an essential food source for the bees. When the honey supply in the hive becomes scarce, the beekeepers will supplement the bees’ food with sugarcane and sugar water.

We couldn't bee more thankful for your support and interest in our project!

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