Honey production in Harenna Forest of Southern Bale mountains National Park, Ehtiopia: Economic and conservation perspectives

Abstract

The economic and conservation perspectives of traditional, forest-based honey production in the Harenna forest of southern Bale Mountains National Park (BMNP), Ethiopia, were studied mainly focusing on the Rira community. Data on the number of beehives per household, amount of honey produced per hive and price of one kg of honey were gathered through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussion. Annual need of food consumption, the price of wheat /barley, traditional techniques of hive preparation and management and trends of production were also investigated. The study results showed that on average, a household owned 50 ± 13 functional hives, and harvested 7 ± 0.6 kg of honey from each hive per year. The mean price of honey per kg was 7±0.8 Birr (current exchange rate $1USD=8.5 Birr). Out of the honey produced about 88 ± 1% is delivered for sale. The potential annual income earned from honey can reach 2027 + 77 Birr per household. This level of income can purchase about 13 + 0.5 quintals of barley /wheat or roughly about 50-65% (6-8 months) of a household’s annual food requirements. The beekeepers use hives constructed predominantly from three tree species; namely, Erythrina brucei, Hagenia abyssinica and Polyscias fulva. Despite some critical constraints such as marketing and lack of trainings on improvement of beekeeping techniques, the economic value of honey for the Rira community is so important that it could be considered as one of the conservation promotion options for the Harenna Forest. All the beekeepers of the area have their own territory in the forest area, which is managed by traditional bylaws, where only the head of the household and his family hang their hives. Therefore, strengthening their traditional beekeeping management, introduction of non-timber materials for hive construction and halting of the present constraints would mutually and sustainably enhance both the livelihood of the community and conservation of the forest resources.

Keywords/phrases: Conservation, Economics, Harenna forest, Honey production, Traditional hives, Rira

Ethiop. J. Biol. Sci., 7(1): 17-33, 2008