By Runyararo Mukahanana
ZIMTRADE HAS facilitated the installation of a solar-powered borehole at the Chikomba Honey Cluster in Sengwe, a development expected to support honey production while improving access to water for the surrounding community.
The borehole forms part of efforts to strengthen productive capacity within provincial clusters and create conditions that enable small-scale producers to develop into commercially viable and export-oriented enterprises.
For beekeepers at the cluster, reliable access to water is expected to support hive colonisation and improve conditions for honey production.
Water plays an important role in an apiary, as bees use it to regulate temperatures within hives, support brood development and maintain healthy colonies. Although bees can travel considerable distances in search of water, a dependable source close to the apiary provides more favourable conditions for colony establishment and maintenance.
The borehole project was undertaken against the background of limited underground water availability in the area.
According to the project’s technical report, groundwater potential in the surrounding area is generally low, with several boreholes requiring drilling to depths of at least 95 metres.
Solar-powered infrastructure is particularly suited to rural production areas where electricity supplies can be limited.
It also reduces recurrent energy costs and supports the long-term operation of productive infrastructure.
The borehole was designed to serve both the honey cluster and the wider community.
Community water points have been established in centrally accessible areas, while a nearby primary school is also expected to benefit from the water supply.
The intervention forms part of ZimTrade’s wider approach to developing provincial production clusters, which bring producers together around common products, production areas and commercial objectives.
The project also feeds into corporate social responsibility activities.
Through the cluster model, producers can receive targeted support in areas such as production improvement, quality management, standards, packaging, branding, market information and market linkages.
The approach is also intended to address one of the major challenges faced by emerging exporters, which is the ability to supply markets at sufficient and consistent volumes.
An individual beekeeper may not always be able to meet the volume requirements of a large buyer.
Organised producers, however, can aggregate output, improve consistency and collectively respond to larger commercial opportunities.
In this way, provincial clusters can provide a link between rural production and regional and international markets.
Zimbabwe has scope to increase exports of honey and other apiculture products, particularly where producers can meet requirements relating to food safety, quality, consistency and traceability.
Increasing production, however, is only one part of the process.
As hive colonisation and honey volumes improve, producers will also need to strengthen harvesting and post-harvest handling practices, maintain appropriate hygiene standards, prevent contamination and establish reliable traceability systems.
Aggregation of honey from different producers will also require consistent quality standards to ensure that products supplied to buyers meet market requirements.
The availability of reliable water is expected to contribute to this process by improving the production environment for bees and supporting other activities associated with the cluster.
Improved hive colonisation could result in better use of existing hives and increased volumes of honey available for aggregation and commercialisation.
With continued technical and market-development support, the Chikomba Honey Cluster has the potential to progressively expand beyond local markets and participate in regional and international trade.
