Benefits of Beekeeping in Rural Areas: Insights from Chipinge District in Zimbabwe

The study sought to establish the sustainability of beekeeping business in rural areas of Chipinge District. The existence of thick forests and perennial rivers and availability of wild plants that flowers in different times of the year, has also driven some farmers into beekeeping. The utility of beekeeping enterprise as a livelihood activity has been fully realized in the whole district, including the Lowveld, with poor vegetation for bees and poor water availability. This study was carried out to find out how communities can benefit from the sustainable beekeeping programme. The study examined the strategies the community employed to enhance its livelihoods through the sharing of activities from a sustainable beekeeping programme. The research used questionnaires, structured interviews and observations as sources of gathering data. The study established the benefits which accrued from beekeeping that covered honey as food, income in the form of cash, medicines, scenery creation for tourism and income generating projects through making of hives, making honey processing machines (manual honey pressers), making bee suits, opening shops which sell honey packaging materials, growing of flowers and citrus fruits which attract bees. Employment creation and increasing in the number of income activities in the area has been witnessed due to beekeeping business. Beekeeping as a business led into diversification of income generation options leading to improvement of standard of living of rural people through utilization of their local available resources. The study recommends that the sustainability of beekeeping enterprise should be supported by both backward and forward linkages. The government policies should support the efforts of beekeepers. Beekeepers in Zimbabwe do not get loans from banks and this should be rectified by both private players and the government.