Dytech is an agribusiness based in Zambia. It was founded by Alan Chanda and they specialize in the production of high-quality honey for the domestic and export market. They have designed a commercially scalable model using low-cost, highly-productive hives made from unwanted wood waste and offcuts.
These hive designs are called Zamhives and are provided to the out-grower farmer from who they source honey. They launched in 2016 and produce honey under the brand name Sweet Harvest.
What Is Beekeeping?
Beekeeping is an aspect of agriculture that is about breeding bees for the purpose of making honey. It involves using man-made beehives to maintain a bee colony where they will breed and produce honey that will be collected for other purposes.
However, the challenge is that the way beekeeping activities are carried out impacts negatively on the environment. This is because of the following:
1. There are different species of bees and not all of them are honey bees therefore targeted breeding of honey bees displaces the ordinary bees that can’t compete in foraging for food. This leads to their dying out and these ordinary bees are necessary for the maintenance of the environment.
2. Most bee farming activities involve cutting down trees and clearing lands for production and this is not good for the environment. If anything, more trees should be planted.
Improving yields
This innovation is called ZamHives and it simply is a beehive with a double decker that is made from woods that have been deemed useful or wastes. The primary idea and the distinguishing factor between it and other beehives are that it is designed to be eco-friendly. Also, it is more efficient as it is also designed to produce more honey over time than the usual beehive. Again, unlike the usual bee farming activities, these ZamHives are placed strategically around flowering trees and other flowers in the wild allowing the bees to be naturally attracted to these hives themselves. They are also able to go find their food themselves thus, all the farm workers have to do is to come at certain times to pack up what was gotten.
Improving Yields
This innovation is called ZamHives and it simply is a beehive with a double decker that is made from woods that have been deemed useful or wastes. The primary idea and the distinguishing factor between it and other beehives are that it is designed to be eco-friendly. Also, it is more efficient as it is also designed to produce more honey over time than the usual beehive. Again, unlike the usual bee farming activities, these ZamHives are placed strategically around flowering trees and other flowers in the wild allowing the bees to be naturally attracted to these hives themselves. They are also able to go find their food themselves thus, all the farm workers have to do is to come at certain times to pack up what was gotten.
Economic and social impact
The impact has been massive!
The company has made profit but the greater impact is the massive change it has brought to the lives of the over 2500 small-holders’ farmers that work with the organization. Most of whom are women.
With a commercially scalable and low-cost model, Zamhives is using food waste to increase honey production, increasing honey yields from 15kilogrammes 75kilogrammes per season.
A triple in production capacity also translates to increased income for the smallholder producer. They look forward to scaling their out-grower scheme by building 250,000 beehives and planting high-value commercially-scalable export-grade foods. They currently export over 90% of honey produced.
Constraints and challenges to honey production
Deforestation is a global threat. It is responsible for about 10 percent of all global warming emissions. In Zambia, traditional burning of wild forests to easily trap animals is common practice. It is imperative that the government and local chiefs ensure the forests are kept in pristine condition.
Bees are very essential for the sustenance of our environment because they pollinate flowering plants and preserve biological diversity along with their products which are beneficial to man
Without their support, it is very difficult to ensure that bees are farmed in an eco-friendly way.
