Drivers of honey production and its effects on rural livelihoods in Odravu Sub-country, Yumbe district, Northern Uganda

Abstract— The study identified the key drivers of honey production and its effects on rural livelihoods in Odravu sub-country, Yumbe district, Northern Uganda. The specific objectives were to establish the economic benefits accruing from honey production; to determine the factors that influence the honey produced and establish the socio-economic effects of honey production on the rural livelihoods. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional study design with the questionnaire as the primary data collection tool administered to 80 honey-producing farmers from Odranga, Lukenene, Kobo, Ayuri and Pamua villages. The data was analyzed using SPSS v23. The findings revealed that income, medicine, employment, food, pollination, and medicine were the most economic benefits accruing from honey production. The results also indicated that most farmers in the age brackets of 36-45 (36%) were more involved in honey production. most male (75%) were involved in honey production, most honey producers were married (86%) and had 4-7 (69%) members in a household and most honey farmers (53%) had attained the secondary level of education. The factors that influence honey production included the level of education, experience, types of hives kept per farmer, the total number of hives kept per farmer and number of hives colonized. Honey production was highest among farmers with honey production ranking as the first position among the beekeeper's income-generating activities. Honey production was high among farmers keeping only traditional hives and those who kept more than one hive type as compared to modern beehives. The household honey production level increased with the number of hives kept. The enterprise resulted into increased people's incomes, access to domestic lighting systems, and better pollination of plants, employment and improved diet of the local people. It is recommended that the government should establish honey and beeswax collection centres and cooperatives and equipping them with the necessary facilities to help in marketing and improve honey production. It is also important to document the available indigenous knowledge and practices of beekeeping for its further improvement and development of the beekeeping sector.