Menongue - The Department of Agriculture and Forestry of the United States of America disbursed $50,000 to improve the practice of honey production in Angola’s southern province of Cuando Cubango.
The fact was made known this Friday, in Menongue, in statements to the press, at the end of the presentation of the 'Sustainable Beekeeping Project', by the chairman of the Board of Directors of MBAKITA, Pascoal Baptistiny.
The official clarified that the project will cover artisanal beekeepers residing in the community of Capico, commune of Caiundo, municipality of Menongue, aged between 19 and 55 years.
Beekeepers will be able to have a production of 12,500 kg of honey per year each, with the forecast to increase to 30% of the same production.
Beneficiaries will be able to invest in the conservation of the environment, valuing non-timber forest products, in this case honey, through sustainable production of the product, in order to improve the livelihoods of families.
The project's specific objectives are to strengthen the capacity and quality of small-scale honey production, to establish links for the commercialization of honey in the national and international market and to increase the environmental conservation of communities.
Pascoal Baptistiny said that, with this implementation, the modern practice of beekeeping, carried out by the families covered, is expected to improve the ability of beekeepers to adapt to climate change, greater conservation of biodiversity and improve their quality of life.
He said that the project has staff trained in new technologies to improve honey production and the acquisition of logistical means, as well as experts who will work on the evaluation of the quality of this product.
The general objective of this initiative, he indicated, is to train beekeepers and achieve poverty reduction among vulnerable people, through the development of an inclusive and sustainable honey value chain. LMZ/ALK/FF/PLB/DOJ
