Lovemore Khomo | January 3, 2025
News Brief
On a cold Saturday morning, 62-year-old Henry Chaperewera Banda cycles to Chamadzi Forest, 60 kilometres outside the capital Lilongwe, to meet his colleagues and discuss apiculture. Mr. Banda practices beekeeping to provide honey for his family to eat and to make sales to sustain their daily lives. The 45 beehives in the 22.8-hectare forest were established recently after a reforestation effort following severe tree depletion, which led to the loss of biodiversity, including bees and birds. The beehives belong to at least 120 people living around Chamadzi Forest, meaning each beehive is shared among three to four people. They share the knowledge on beekeeping practices and proceeds from the honey sale, although the lack of a structured market is a challenge.
This story was originally published in August 2024.
On a cold Saturday morning, 62-year-old Henry Chaperewera Banda cycles to Chamadzi Forest in Group Village Head Kambewa, Traditional Authority Masumbankhunda, 60 kilometres outside the capital Lilongwe, to meet his colleagues and discuss apiculture.
Mr. Banda practices beekeeping to provide honey for his family to eat and to make sales to sustain their daily lives. He says, “Honey is rich in sugar, vitamins, and minerals, along with health-promoting plant compounds known as polyphenols.”
The 45 beehives in the 22.8-hectare forest were established recently after a reforestation effort following severe tree depletion, which led to the loss of biodiversity, including bees and birds. The forest consists of two sections: 13.8 hectares reforested between 2002 and 2009, and 9 hectares of naturally regenerated trees.
Community reforestation initiatives have restored the forest cover in the area, preventing soil erosion and reviving natural habitats for bees and birds.
The beehives belong to at least 120 people living around Chamadzi Forest, meaning each beehive is shared among three to four people. They share the proceeds from the honey sales.
Mr. Banda sells his honey through the Chamadzi Honey Group, a collective of 120 members from various villages around the forest. The group includes 50 women and 26 youth. He says, “We sell our honey through the Chamadzi Honey Group because it’s very difficult to find markets for our products individually. Sometimes we find customers, but they don’t offer good prices.”
The group shares knowledge and skills on safeguarding the beehives and ensuring the success of their activities. After selling honey, Mr. Banda and the group pay school fees for orphaned students and use the remaining money to buy household necessities and fertilizers for crop cultivation.
However, Mr. Banda is concerned about the inadequate number of beehives, which has led to low honey production. They expected to harvest 700 litres per year, harvesting twice annually in June and December. In 2023, the Chamadzi Honey Group sold 639 litres of honey, earning 3.7 million Malawian kwacha ($3,064 US), and in the first half of 2024, they harvested 443 litres, which still needs marketing.
The lack of a proper and structured market for honey is a challenge. Previously, they could sell honey at about 892 kwacha (about $ 0.74 US) per kilogram, but now the price has improved, selling at 6,000 kwacha (about $5.00 US) per kilogram.
Nationally, there are over 130 beekeeping groups with more than 20,000 farmers, most of whom are women, according to the Beekeepers Association of Malawi. They say they are working on introducing packed sachets to reach more customers. Currently most honey is packed in bottles and the business targets both the middle and upper class.
Mrs. Ediza Gezemani, who started beekeeping in 2022, has benefited greatly, using the earnings to pay her children’s school fees and buy fertilizers for maize cultivation.
She says, “My friends and relatives discouraged me initially, but my life has changed since joining apiculture. I wear a beekeeping suit and check on the honey in the forest, ensuring it’s ready and avoiding bee stings.”
Mrs. Gezemani also acknowledges the benefits of reforestation, including access to firewood for cooking and consistent water supplies for basic needs.
Mrs. Gezemani explained that one of the challenges they face is the lack of advancement in leadership roles within the group, as men occupy all positions.
She adds, “We were being sidelined even when it came to walking into the forests to monitor the progress of the beehives and check if more honey is being made. However, slowly, we are advancing as women. We are now able to put on beekeeping suits and enter the forests to monitor the progress ourselves.”
Mrs. Lileni Batiwelo, another woman in the community, shares a similar story. “Before apiculture, I struggled to access basic needs. Today, I can support my family with food, soap, school fees, and fertilizers.”
Previously, her household found it difficult to manage their monthly budget, and her husband made all the decisions for the family. But now that she is supporting the family, she also has a role in decision-making.
She says, “Now, my husband and I sit together to consolidate our budget from our earnings, for we understand our responsibilities to support our family with basic needs. But before joining beekeeping, my husband would decide on his own.”
Group Village Head Kambewa emphasizes that apiculture activities are possible due to the reforestation efforts between 2002 and 2009. A committee oversees forest activities to ensure tree protection and prevent deforestation.
Mr. Banda concludes, “Let us work together to conserve the environment by planting trees in areas where we cut them down, so others can also benefit. This way, we can restore biodiversity, including bees, which benefit many in our community.”
Photo: Mr. Banda and his group, who all used to sell harvested honey. Taken in Malawi, 2024.
