DODOMA (Tanzania), April 8 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — Tanzania has exported over 6,000 tonnes of honey to various parts of the world, earning a total of 69.1bn/- over the past four years.
During the same period (2021–2024), the country also witnessed an increase in annual honey production, rising from 31,179 tonnes to 33,276 tonnes.
This was revealed by the Assistant Commissioner for Beekeeping at the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS), Hussein Msuya, over the weekend in Dodoma.
He added that wax sales during this period reached 2,410.81 tonnes, valued at 40bn/-, equivalent to an average of 602.71 tonnes per year.
According to Msuya, Tanzania’s main export markets for bee products include Germany, Japan, the United States, the Netherlands, Ireland, Albania, the UK, United Arab Emirates, Oman, China, the Czech Republic, Poland, Kosovo, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi and Comoros.
The TFS official attributed this success to President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s efforts to uplift the sector, which led the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism to work closely with TFS and other industry stakeholders, including development partners, to boost production and exports.
Msuya emphasised that Tanzania has prioritised the beekeeping sector to stimulate the domestic economy and increase foreign exchange earnings through international trade.
He further cited improved policies, skills development and the adoption of modern technologies as key drivers behind the rise in honey and wax production over the past four years.
“The quality of Tanzanian honey has been internationally recognised,” he said, highlighting that during a 2023 honey competition held in South Africa, honey from the Tabora region won second place in terms of quality.
He also noted that the sector’s development has led to the creation of approximately two million direct and indirect jobs.
According to a paper presented at the International Scientific Conference on ‘Forest and Honeybee Products Value Chains for the Development of Sustainable Livelihoods and an Industrial Economy’ held in Dar es Salaam in February 2021, Tanzania’s forest resources are estimated to cover 48.1 million hectares—about 55 per cent of the mainland’s total land area (88.6 million hectares). — NNN-DAILYNEWS
