Assessment of Production System and Constraints of Bee Keeping Practices in Damot Gale Woreda, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

The study was conducted in Damot Gale Woreda, Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia to assess the production system and constraints of bee keeping practices and its management. Data were collected from 60 households using formal survey. The majority of the respondents (70%) were found in the age of lower than 40 and only 20% of the respondents age was more than 40 years. Among the total respondents 75% were educated, whereas 25% were uneducated. Most of the respondents (70%) in the study area practiced traditional beekeeping whereas 22 and 8 percent of the respondents practiced transitional and modern bee keeping system respectively. Sixty two percent of respondents (bee keepers) visit their bees’ everyday while 18% of bee keepers visit and inspect their bees every three days and 20% of the respondents visit their bees. About 75% of the respondents put their hives on the branch of trees where as 17% and 8% of the respondents kept their hives at the backyard and inside the house respectively. The major constraints of beekeeping in the study area were lack of bee equipment (like modern hives, casting mold, honey storage tank, honey extractor), lack of skilled man power. Therefore, the farmers should be trained about handling of modern beekeeping practice and get access of credit service to purchase beekeeping equipment and materials.

Keywords: keeping practices, traditional, transitional, modern hives,