Bee keeping has been largely traditional and subsistence in nature. Most villages in Kenya have a bee colony which is harvested once a year for home consumption but when there is a little excess, it is sold in the local market to earn some money for basic necessities. If done professionally Bee farming can be a rewarding and enjoyable occupation with many benefits. It has a number of advantages over other farm enterprises;
- Requires little land (50 colonies require a ¼ acre ) which does not have to be fertile
- Honey is a source of non-perishable food
- Capital investment is low compared to other farm enterprises
- Beekeeping or bee farming is cheap and relatively not competitive to other Agricultural enterprises i.e. does not compete for resources
- Labour required is low.
- Many products can be obtained which are great source of income i.e. honey, beeswax, pollen, propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, bee colonies, bee brood, queen bees, and package bees.
- Encourages environmental conservation.
- Bees are good pollinators of plants, trees, fruits and crops, thus playing a big role in bio-diversity and improvement of crop yields
- The therapeutic value of most hive products provide remedy for a number of ailments (Apitherapy)
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