The World Bank will support an investment of around 10 million dollars in the development of the beekeeping value chain in Mozambique, as part of a Government initiative aimed at increasing national honey production, strengthening local processing capacity and reducing dependence on imports, according to the Agência de Informação de Moçambique.
The announcement was made on Wednesday (20) by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Albino, during celebrations marking World Bee Day in Maputo. According to the minister, the funding will be used to strengthen honey production and expand the agro-industrial segment linked to the sector.
“We are talking about around 10 million dollars that we want to allocate specifically to beekeeping,” Roberto Albino said, adding that the investment will be implemented through two main components: direct support for producing communities and support for the agro-industrial sector.
According to the minister, part of the funds will be provided as non-repayable grants for the purchase of beehives, protective equipment and the training of beekeepers.
“This is a non-repayable grant for the purchase of beehives, beekeeper suits, training and support for communities,” he stated.
The second component of the financing will be directed towards the beekeeping agro-industry, covering areas such as processing, packaging, certification and transport, through subsidised credit lines.
During the event, the minister called for greater organisation and registration of operators within the beekeeping value chain, arguing that the lack of consolidated statistics remains one of the main obstacles to the sector’s growth.
“We do not have consolidated statistics on what is happening in the beekeeping value chain,” the minister said, adding that this limitation also hampers the definition of trade policies and the management of honey imports.
“We continue to import honey because we still do not have enough information to decide whether we should limit imports or not,” he declared.
In his speech, the minister also questioned dependence on foreign markets and defended greater investment in domestic production.
“Why should we spend foreign currency, which is scarce, importing honey from the United Arab Emirates?” he asked.
Roberto Albino also highlighted the strategic role of beekeeping in environmental conservation, income generation and the promotion of inclusive rural development, particularly for communities, young people and women.
