Group taps into value addition for sweeter returns from bees

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa (C) and Turkana governor Josphat Nanok (right) are shown of acacia honey by Kerio Valley Development Authority Managing Director David Kimosop (left) when they toured KVDA stand during the official opening of Turkana Trade Fair and Investment Conference at Ekale Centre in Turkana County. Pictures BY Peter Ochieng

A group in Baringo County has discovered sweet returns from bee keeping.

Irong Natural Bee Products group from Marigat are making a tidy sum from processing and packaging natural honey.

“We started a value chain for honey about a year ago, to buy and package honey for marketing. Our group also uses modern and traditional log hives in our bee keeping initiative,” says Symon Chesang, the group chairman.

At their small facility, the group processes the honey, pack it in plastic containers ready for the market. The honey which is branded Kapkuiku natural honey, is certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards.

“Our group has 30 traditional hives and we produce an average of one tone of raw honey in a year. We harvest twice – between June and August during the long rains and between November and February every year,” says Chesang.

Chesang says they buy another tone of raw honey from local farmers and manage to package two tonnes of the product for the market annually. Their key markets are supermarkets in Nakuru, a distribution point along Marigat/Bogoria road and some individual marketing outlets in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Teamwork

What inspired formation of the group?

Brolyn Komen, the group vice chairman says the team decided to come together to seek a larger market.

“We noticed that as individual bee farmers, we were selling less honey at low prices yet there is a ready market. We decided to form a group so that we can have a stronger bargaining power even when approaching project financiers,” says Komen.

Komen says the group markets their honey as Kapkuiku natural honey, which is their their marketing agent.

“We package pure natural honey in 1 kg selling at Sh 500, 500 grams at Sh300, 200 grams Sh100 and 100 grams at Sh50. During the process of sieving, we also produce 100 kgs of wax monthly from honeycombs, thus giving us an extra income,” says Komen.

To maintain high standards of hygiene, the group uses honey extractors while sieving the natural honey product from the combs. The group members, have also undergone training on honey handling and value addition to perfect their art.

The group was one of the key attractions during last year’s inaugural North Rift Economic Bloc conference — an investment forum — in Eldoret town that brought together eight counties.

The honey business has not only enhanced the purchasing power of its members but also created jobs for the members.

“This initiative has improved the livelihood of members. Our group is a success story that motivates other young farmers to venture into bee keeping,” says Christine Lorenge, a member of the group.

The group owns modern bee hives which are put in strategic to attract bees.

“We place the hives in areas like near a water point and trees. Each member has their turn to check on the bees. We monitor the behaviour of bees and we can tell when it is ready to harvest honey. When the bee movement in the hive is active, we know the insect is in the process of honey making. And when there is no much movement of bees –in and out of the hive, the honey is ready. During harvest we do it together,” Lorenge says.

Though they have achieved significant milestones, the group still faces some challenges.

One is lack of capacity in marketing. They also face challenges preparing financial statements like the balance sheets.Getting a bar code for the products is also a huge issue.

“Labelling is an extra cost to our group. We pay Sh5,000 annually for the bar code. We also pay Sh5,800 every year for Kebs permit,” says Chesang.

Though challenges abound, the members are confident that this is a worth while venture. First, Chesang says bee keeping does not require a big land and a lot of resources.

“With just a few traditional bee hives and a small portion of land, one can produce natural honey. We do not commit a lot of time to this once the hives have been installed. Bees are hardworking insects hence this does not require any supervision,” he says.

He adds that the enterprise does not suffer losses due to harsh weather.

For those who want to venture into been keeping, their word of caution is: “This venture requires patience. It requires commitment since the hives require frequent supervision. The bees also sometimes may sting and one should be handled with care,” Komen says.