How organised grassroot beekeepers float farms in FCT

‘…our target is the international market’ A renowed bee farmer in collaboration with the FCT Department of Agriculture has been organising farmers in the territory to upscale production. This led to the formation of the Grassroots Beekeepers Association of Nigeria which brings together local farmers and places them in a more functional structure with assistance […]

‘…our target is the international market’

A renowed bee farmer in collaboration with the FCT Department of Agriculture has been organising farmers in the territory to upscale production.

This led to the formation of the Grassroots Beekeepers Association of Nigeria which brings together local farmers and places them in a more functional structure with assistance to own hives using group methodology.

Mr Gideon Dagunduro, a staff of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,who has been involved in the production process for over 20 years, initiated the idea of bringing the farmers together after training them. This initiative led to the establishment of many farms and collaborations with a company that will off take their honey.

Daily Trust visited some of the farms at Anagada along Abuja-Lokoja Expressway on Tuesday and interacted with some of the farmers. Excitement is building up as harvest is due in the next two months.

On a visit to some of the farms our reporter observe that many of the hives are due for harvest.

Mr Dagunduro explains how the idea started: “We looked at the advantages we have in the FCT especially in all the area councils.We have areas that are full of cashew and mango trees and some farmers are already doing it in the local way.So we came together and formed an association called Grassroots Beekeepers Association of Nigeria. We have over 6,000 members spread in the FCT into different value chains of beekeeping.

“We want to harness the resources so we can get the maximum yield to approach the international market.”

The association operates in zones across the area councils with at least a target to have 200 hives in each zone. “This is Gwagwalada and here we have about three places -Anagada 50, Peti 50 and Dobi 100 hives. Very soon we will commence the harvesting; as the period runs from November, December, March or April.”

Structure of the farms

In each group they have members and the box belongs to them and they are still working as an association. There are some boxes that belong to people who ask the association to keep them for them in the apiary and also manage them.

Alhassan Mohammed, chairman of the association at Anagada zone, explained that the membership of the farmers stand at 35 and that about 10 more farmers requesting to join in the area.

But Mohammed, however, said security was a major challenge for the farmers. To deal with that, however, the farmers organised themselves to watch over it day and night because the area is not fenced-something they are seeking assistance to erect.

The Anagadaapiary is situated in an orchard donated by 67-year-old Malam Salihu Baba Araba who is also a member of the association. He said the reason behind his decision was because the bees help to pollinate his cashew and mango trees- this leads to increase in yield, he said.

But Lawan Ali, the group’s treasurer said his goal is to have 500 hives and as a group, 1000 hives in the area- something thathe said can happen only with intervention.

The traditional ruler (Dakachi) of the area, Alhaji Alhassan Musa, told this reporter that he joined the association because he has seen the benefits of bee farming. At the moment, he said, the association is attracting a lot of membership.

The off-taker

Pastor Dagunduro,the association’s chairs, said A & Shine is their big off-taker adding, “We have just started with him but we are still trying to expand and see if we can get more off-takers from other parts of the country or even outside the country.

“I can tell you that for our honey which is directly from the farm, our target is that between now and 2020 we want to have about a million bee farmers membership across Nigeria-small bee farmers that have two or three boxes. We want to beat the record of Ethiopia.”

Major challenges

The group said they need technical assistance in the area of training and processing to be able to process honey maybe four times a year with some of the sophisticated equipment.

They are also appealing to the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the FCT Minister, Muhammed Bello, to assist the farmers by providing  them a piece of land for beekeeping.

Like Ilesanmi B. Daniel, the vice president of the association puts it, they want to hit the international market better-organised as that will help them achieve huge successes like their counterparts elsewhere in Africa.

“My expectation in the next two years? I want to see myself helping others so that beekeeping flourishesinto a source of income. I want government to encourage individuals and groupsin bee farming. That will bolster the economy of Nigeria.”