admin_county May 20, 2021

County distributes hives for improved honey production

The County has distributed 80 beehives (40 Langstroth hives and 40 Kenya Top Bar Hives), 10 bee suits, four manual honey extractors, 40 gumboots, and 350 spades to farmer groups in Elementaita Ward, Gilgil sub-county under the farm input support program.

As the County celebrates World Bee Day today, it is key to note that the County is putting tremendous efforts into apiary systems to ensure the support of sustainable development goals of helping to ensure food security for the world’s population and protection, restoration and promotion of sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

This is through the already existing projects launched in the County, under the leadership of H.E Governor Lee Kinyanjui, including pyrethrum revival, crop diversification and local chicken stimulus projects.

The apiary equipment distribution is part of the County’s support in increasing bee population as farmers will now set up additional apiaries hence attracting more bees, key in pollination thus increasing yields.

The exercise was led by Ag. Director Livestock production, Ms Virginiah Ngunjiri together with other County officials.
Although the use of pesticides is inevitable, Ms Ngunjiri advised the farmers to uptake best practices while handling the pesticides to ensure honey safety and the health of bees.

The County Government is also training farmers on bee forage, plants that bees prefer, in addition to collaborating with partners like Egerton University in the development of apiculture and the latter have lent their expertise in the rearing of queen bees to help increase bee population (colonies).

Last week the County distributed 10 incubators accompanied by backup generators and voltage regulators, over 2,300 fertilized eggs, 36 spraying pumps, and 35-50litre stainless steel milking cans to groups in Elementaita ward, Gilgil sub-county.