Ethiopia is Africa’s leading producer of honey and the 4th largest producer of beeswax in the world. Beekeeping has been practiced in the region for centuries but the sector is still underdeveloped as small scale farmers often lack access to modern hives and international markets.
Currently much of the honey and honeycomb produced in Ethiopia is either traded informally or used in the production of Tej, a popular Ethiopian honey wine. Beeswax is however one of the country’s key exports and there has already been some private investment in processing and packaging plants.
The diversity of Ethiopian flora ensures an adequate supply of bee forage at different times of the year. Varied climatic and ecological conditions mean that Ethiopia can sustain large numbers of bee colonies (it reportedly already has the largest bee population in Africa). The relatively low start-up costs also make this an attractive sector in which to invest.
There are numerous opportunities to invest in apiculture in Ethiopia. These include the introduction of methods to improve production and apiary management, processing of honey and beeswax and the further development of the export market for these products. Bee by-products are used not only in food but also in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications. Internationally the main importers of honey are the European Union, USA and Japan.
For more information contact: Aby Berhane
Economic Counselor, Embassy of Ethiopia
Pretoria, South Africa
Email: Et.trade@webmail.co.za
