Uganda will between August 25 and 28 hosts the fourth edition of the Africa-Apimondia Symposium to beheld at Hotel Africana in Kampala.
Speaking on Thursday, Executive Director of the The Uganda National Apiculture Development Organisation (TUNADO), Dr. Dickson Biryomumaisho said the country will use the symposium as a platform to showcase its bee products and position them for the international market, according to the
Biryomumaisho said the symposium will help amplify Uganda’s honey, propolis and other bee products by telling the story behind how they are produced and the science that keeps the country’s bee populations healthy.
“We shall use the Africa-Apimondia Symposium to amplify the bee products of Uganda so that they can access the international market. When people buy Ugandan bee products, they are not just buying a product—they are buying the science and technology used to keep bees healthy,” Dr. Biryomumaisho said.
He said Uganda stands out globally because its bee populations remain relatively stable, even as many countries struggle with the devastating effects of Colony Collapse Disorder and other bee diseases that have wiped out colonies in parts of Europe and North America.
According to Biryomumaisho, Uganda’s largely natural approach to beekeeping has helped preserve strong and healthy bee populations.
Hosting the fourth Africa-Apimondia Symposium will also bring international scientists, researchers and industry experts in apiculture to Uganda to share the latest developments in beekeeping.
The discussions will span several areas, including Apitherapy—the medicinal use of bee products—which Biryomumaisho says is gaining increasing global attention.
“Bees provide products that are highly medicinal. Uganda has honey that is regarded as medicinal, as well as other products like propolis,” he said.
He noted that the global market has shifted from simply selling products to selling products backed by stories and scientific value.
Uganda, he said, intends to highlight the origin, natural production methods and ecological benefits behind its bee products.
“Someone enjoying our honey should also enjoy the story behind it,” Biryomumaisho added.
The symposium will also highlight the role bees play in boosting agricultural productivity, particularly through crop pollination.
Researchers are expected to demonstrate how pollination services provided by bees are improving yields in crops such as coffee.
The TUNADO Executive Director said Uganda as one of the world’s leading exporters of Robusta coffee, has seen a boost in production partly attributed to expanded beekeeping in coffee-growing areas such as Greater Masaka.
“In the last five years we intensified beekeeping in Robusta-producing areas where it was previously not common, and the impact on crop production is visible,” Biryomumaisho said.
Beyond knowledge exchange, the symposium is expected to attract foreign investment in the apiculture sector and open new markets for Ugandan bee products.
However, Biryomumaisho emphasized that increased funding for research will be key if Uganda is to fully unlock the value of its bee products. He pointed to the global success of Manuka honey from New Zealand, which commands premium prices after extensive research demonstrated its medicinal properties.
He believes similar research could elevate Ugandan honey to global premium status.
“If we study the medicinal values, profile our honey and examine its chemical composition, we can create high-quality products for pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries,” he said.
The State Minister for Agriculture, Bright Rwamirama who was represented by Dr. Anna Rose Ademun Okurut, the Commissioner in charge of animal health in ministry of agriculture said government is ready to provide adequate technical support to realize maximum participation by all stakeholders during the symposium.
The minister said apiculture has in recent years earned great recognition world over for being very critical in enhancing rural livelihoods through honey production for food, nutrition security and poverty alleviation.
“The Ministry of Agriculture has taken steps in promoting apiculture through recruitment of entomologists in all local governments across the country and retooling them to improve extension services, alignment of beekeepers with the PDM flagship program, supporting selected beneficial insect value chains including apiculture under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural transformation project and strengthening partnership with the private sector for further out reach into communities,” he said.
He added that there is an increased level of awareness on the importance of apiculture in improving household incomes, ecological services, youth and women employment and biodiversity conservation.
According to the minister, Uganda currently has 1.2 million beekeepers and these produce 210,000 metric tons of honey per year which the country now exports 80,000 metric tons of honey, equivalent to Shs 889 billion.