Abstract:
This study was conducted in Zone 2, Afar National Regional State to assess the beekeeping
production system and evaluate the major honey quality parameters in different seasons and in
different districts of the study area. For these study four districts and from each district four kebeles
were selected using purposive sampling methods. A total of 100 beekeepers with different proportion
from each kebele were selected randomly. Beekeepers were interviewed using pre-tested semi structured questionnaire and the data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The study comprises two parts including survey about bee
management practices and honey quality determination. The second part of the study was the
determination of honey quality produced in the study districts. Honey quality was determined
following the standard procedure set by International Honey Commission. Forty honey samples
were collected from four districts and analyzed for six honey quality parameters in Adigrat Bee
Research Center, Food and Nutrition Laboratory. The results of the household survey indicated
that the majority of the hives owned by the bee keepers owned traditional hived colony. About
69%, 24%, 7% of the sample beekeepers owned 1-10, 11-20 and 21-30 honey bee colonies per
household respectively. The majority (44) of the respondents harvest honey once per year, while
42% and14% of the respondents harvest three and four times per year respectively. Most of
respondents supplement their colonies during dry season(71%).The rest 29% do not feed their
colony at all. Most of the beekeepers in the study area kept traditionally at the backyard. Most
of the respondents (66%) harvest in the range of 21-30 kg per house hold annually followed by
19% (41-50kg) and 15% of the sampled respondents were harvest between 31-40 kg, per year.
All of the respondents sell their honey directly to local market. The mean moisture content, ash
content, acidity, pH, HMF, and total reducing sugar within the two seasons in the four districts
(Abala, Berahle, Dalol and Koneba) are 19.2%, 0.125%, 20.6 meq Acid/kg, 4.4, 29.9 mg/kg and
78.9g/kg respectively. All the six determined parameters showed sample means were situated in
the acceptable range of the Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia. The main constraints of
honey production in the area are pest and predator, recurrent drought, poor extension service,
lack of access to improved technology, etc. Generally, despite the problems faced by the
apiculture sector, there are a number of opportunities to improve this venture and to increase the
outputs of the activity. This is important for a sustainable improvement of the community’s life.
Therefore, it requires intervention to change the traditional beekeeping practices through
training, improved production systems and package designing for implementation of improved
practices. It is recommended that the government and non-government organizations should
better to act together to minimize and solve the problems related to beekeeping