3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1 Socio-economic characteristics of beekeepers
The mean ages of the beekeepers were 38.11 years and the majority of them are between 23 and 70 years old. This survey result showed that people in the most productive age are actively engaged in beekeeping activities with an average experience of 12.31years. The mean land holding of per beekeeper household was estimated to be 1.95 ha. Generally, the average land holding in the district showed insignificant difference but is slightly higher than the national average household land holding of 1.0-1.5 ha (ASE AIFSP, 2002). The average livestock and family size in the study area was 1.95, 13.96, and 6.89, respectively. Majority of the beekeepers are male (65.38%) and female …show more content…
The amount of bee hives/colony owned by the bee-keepers; traditional, transitional and modern beehives were 81.67%, 12.32% and 6.01% respectively. This result corresponds to other studies conducted in the northern, south-western and central parts of Ethiopia showing that traditional beekeeping is predominantly practiced (Kebede and Lema, 2007; Nuru, 2007; Ejigu et al., 2009). In Central rift valley of Ethiopia only 2% of the beekeepers owned modern hive (Kebede and Lema, 2007). Moreover, the large majority of beekeepers in the country are still producing honey using traditional hives (MoARD, 2003). A similar result was also reported from Tanzania where 99% of the hives owned by the farmers were traditional ones (Match, 2007). Furthermore, JAICAF (2009) briefly described that traditional beekeeping is still today found in many parts of the …show more content…
The survey showed that after the introduction of transitional and modern beehives, the women involvement were increased from year to year. The participations of women were increased from time to time in beekeeping activities as job opportunity and income generation. Mostly women participated in transitional and modern beekeeping activities but their participation in traditional honey production system was less because of the cultural barrier in which women are unable to climb the trees to hang the beehives. The women participated in beekeeping activities like clearing the nearby spaces of the hives, cleaning of the hives with steam and marketing of the harvested honey. The recent approach to beekeeping development in rural areas encourages involvement of women in the process of production and marketing of bee
3.1 Socio-economic characteristics of beekeepers
The mean ages of the beekeepers were 38.11 years and the majority of them are between 23 and 70 years old. This survey result showed that people in the most productive age are actively engaged in beekeeping activities with an average experience of 12.31years. The mean land holding of per beekeeper household was estimated to be 1.95 ha. Generally, the average land holding in the district showed insignificant difference but is slightly higher than the national average household land holding of 1.0-1.5 ha (ASE AIFSP, 2002). The average livestock and family size in the study area was 1.95, 13.96, and 6.89, respectively. Majority of the beekeepers are male (65.38%) and female …show more content…
The amount of bee hives/colony owned by the bee-keepers; traditional, transitional and modern beehives were 81.67%, 12.32% and 6.01% respectively. This result corresponds to other studies conducted in the northern, south-western and central parts of Ethiopia showing that traditional beekeeping is predominantly practiced (Kebede and Lema, 2007; Nuru, 2007; Ejigu et al., 2009). In Central rift valley of Ethiopia only 2% of the beekeepers owned modern hive (Kebede and Lema, 2007). Moreover, the large majority of beekeepers in the country are still producing honey using traditional hives (MoARD, 2003). A similar result was also reported from Tanzania where 99% of the hives owned by the farmers were traditional ones (Match, 2007). Furthermore, JAICAF (2009) briefly described that traditional beekeeping is still today found in many parts of the …show more content…
The survey showed that after the introduction of transitional and modern beehives, the women involvement were increased from year to year. The participations of women were increased from time to time in beekeeping activities as job opportunity and income generation. Mostly women participated in transitional and modern beekeeping activities but their participation in traditional honey production system was less because of the cultural barrier in which women are unable to climb the trees to hang the beehives. The women participated in beekeeping activities like clearing the nearby spaces of the hives, cleaning of the hives with steam and marketing of the harvested honey. The recent approach to beekeeping development in rural areas encourages involvement of women in the process of production and marketing of bee