Support Youth to prevent environmental degradation

Honey harvesting for the Youth, Bees and Environment Group in Mlele District, supported by ADAP Tanzania, was conducted in two phases in March and June 2026. The activity involved 25 young people (12 girls and 13 boys) and took place at two sites: the Msima area within the beekeeping zone of the Mlele Hills Forest Reserve, and the Mauku area within the Rungwa River Forest Reserve.

Of the 97 hives installed across the two sites, 27 were harvested during the first phase and 17 during the second. The first harvest generated 123 litres of honey and 21 kg of beeswax, while the second produced 231 litres of honey and 35.3 kg of beeswax. Although the second harvest was significantly more productive, overall production remained below expectations.

Several factors contributed to the lower-than-expected productivity. These included honey theft due to inadequate security, climate-related impacts such as excessive rainfall damaging flowering trees and the drying of perennial water sources, smaller and fewer bee colonies, declining availability of Pterocarpus tinctorius trees, and a high prevalence of bee pests. The assessment also found that 14 hives had been raided, 10 were completely empty of bees, 9 contained newly established colonies, and 20 had been knocked down and damaged, reportedly by individuals suspected of illegally entering the area for grazing.

Capacity Building and Market Development

Following the Level II Basic Technician Training in Beekeeping Management, supported by the ADAP Tanzania Katavi-Ugalla Project, 28 young people strengthened their technical knowledge in beekeeping, as well as their skills in entrepreneurship, leadership, financial management and marketing. The training was delivered by Nyuki AMCOS in collaboration with government beekeeping officers and instructors.

The group is now marketing honey and candles through local retail markets, including Inyonga and Mpanda, as well as through social social platforms. Honey produced by the group is harvested using their own equipment, processed at the Nyuki AMCOS facilities, and packaged and labelled under the group's own brand, with this value-addition process supported by ADAP Tanzania.

The group also plans to establish a microfinance mechanism using income generated from honey sales. This will enable individual members to access small loans to invest in beekeeping activities, with the aim of increasing their incomes and improving their livelihoods.

Way Forward

Following a joint assessment of the 2026 harvest, ADAP Tanzania, Inyonga Beekeeping AMCOS, the youth mentor, the Mlele District Beekeeping Officer and participating youth agreed that declining productivity at the current apiary sites requires the identification of new, more secure locations with reliable water sources and abundant nectar-producing trees.

The team is therefore discussing with the relevant Wildlife Management Authority the possibility of establishing apiaries in the Isote area of the Rukwa Game Reserve, which appears to meet these criteria. Temporary camps are also planned to improve site security and management.

Preparations for this transition are already well advanced. The youth are completing the construction of new hives and repair of damaged existing hives, and the relocation and establishment of the new apiary site are expected to commence shortly, subject to the required authorisation.

Overall, despite significant environmental, security and productivity challenges, the 2026 season has strengthened the group's technical and business capacities and provided important lessons for improving the sustainability and profitability of youth-led beekeeping activities.