Beekeeping firm seeks partnership with universities
One of the modern beehives produced by the Singida-based company Kijiji Cha Nyuki Co. Ltd, located on a farm.
What you need to know:
- The planned signing follows directives issued by Vice President Philip Mpango during the National World Bee Day celebrations in Dodoma last year, urging universities to collaborate with expert beekeepers to enhance education and development in the sector.
Dar es Salaam. A Singida-based company, Kijiji Cha Nyuki Limited, is in the final stages of securing agreements with several universities across Tanzania to establish forest courses aimed at boosting honey production.
The firm, which is a pioneer in beekeeping, said yesterday that a partnership with Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture and Technology (MJNUAT) in Butiama will be signed soon while discussion is ongoing with other prominent universities.
The planned signing follows directives issued by Vice President Philip Mpango during the National World Bee Day celebrations in Dodoma last year, urging universities to collaborate with expert beekeepers to enhance education and development in the sector.
The company is also in discussions with other prominent universities, including the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), the University of Dodoma (UDOM), Ardhi University (ARU), and the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).
The company’s chief executive officer, Mr Philemon Kiemi, told The Citizen yesterday that the primary aim of the collaborations is to introduce formal beekeeping courses at both the diploma and degree levels, in a bid to train more specialists within the sector.
“This initiative will not only enable graduates to become self-employed but will also create employment opportunities for others,” he said.
The company, known for adhering to both national and international standards, aims to improve honey production and its by-products while following legal and ethical guidelines. “The institution I lead respects both national and international laws and guidelines in delivering products and services that meet national and international standards,” Mr Kiemi affirmed.
To date, Kijiji Cha Nyuki Limited has trained over 5,000 Tanzanians, including farmers, youth, and other stakeholders in the beekeeping industry. In the next three years, the company plans to establish a beekeeping university, expand its beekeeping ranch for queen and bee colony production, build honey processing factories, and expand its market for honey products both domestically and internationally.
“This marks a new beginning for the beekeeping sector in Tanzania, where education, research and business go hand in hand to ensure that these resources benefit more Tanzanians,” Mr Kiemi said.
