Current Issue

Honey production system in Cameroon is fast improving from traditional to modern bee hives practices. In most parts of the country, beekeepers are on the move of modifying their production system (from traditional cylindrical designed hives, mobile bar to Kenyan top bar) so as to meet up with production. It has been as a culture in many parts of the country to adopt a particular production system which is cost benefit. For instance, in Oku-Northwest region, a majority (87%) of beekeepers use traditional cylindrical designed hives, made from bamboo, raffia and grasses, and traditional grass smokers during harvest (Ingram et al., 2020). According to these beekeepers, traditional hives are influenced by customs, the low weight, the availability of resources in the forest at no financial cost and easy construction method (Ingram et al., 2020). In the Mayo Banyo highlands-Adamawa region, most hives (95%) are fixed with mobile frame, built with available materials and conical in shape but of low quality (Fig. 1a) (Meutchieye et al., 2018b), as well as Kenyan top bar hives (Fig. 1b) (Mbogning et al., 2011). In fear of theft and wild bush fire, most beekeepers place their hives at 1~6 m on tree tops. Both traditional and modern bee hives are practiced by beekeepers in most parts of the country. Both governmental (MINEPIA) and non-governmental (ANCO, HONCO, BERUDEP, SNV, WHINCONET, Guiding Hope and Oku Honey Cooperative) organization are putting effort to enhance the production of quality beekeeping products.

Fig. 1a. 
Example of beehives used in Mayo Banyo Division (Meutchieye et al., 2018a).

Fig. 1b. 
Bee hives used in Nkoteng. Source: ERD, 2018.

Beekeeping is an ancient activity practiced in Cameroon since the nineties (Njia, 1999). Honey production being one of the direct contributions of beekeeping practices (ARSD, 2000), it adds more value to the country’s economy through sales and job provision. In Cameroon, honey production is quite low comparatively to its numerous apicultural resources needed for beekeeping. This could be attributed to poor management practices such as the use of local hives, non treatment of hives, and local harvesting methods. However, the improvement of indigenous knowledge through the introduction of modern beekeeping technologies is showing a positive change in the beekeeping industry in many African countries.

Recently, in all the regions of Cameroon, majority (>70%) of installed hives are colonized (Meutchieye et al., 2018b), indicating the country’s potentials for beekeeping. Irrespective of the percentage of hives colonized, honey production varies from region to region with the Adamawa region being the most productive (about 93% of total country’s production) followed by the Northwest and West regions (Meutchieye et al., 2018b). The average number of hives per beekeeper also varies widely between regions. The national average being 11 hives and varies from 68 hives in Adamawa, 16 hives in the Northwest and 3 hives in the Southwest and West regions (Ingram and Njikeu, 2011). The total number of beekeepers in Cameroon was estimated at a minimum of 20,000 in 2009 (Republic of Cameroon, 2008).

Almost everywhere in Cameroon, honey is the most extracted (100%) beehive product (Fig. 2a), followed by bee wax (94.2%) (Fig. 2b) while propolis and pollen are far less extracted (9.6% and 3.6%, respectively) by beekeepers (Njia, 1999; Abongu, 2001; Baimenda, 2010; Fotso et al., 2014; Meutchieye et al., 2018a). Honey production and value per region is represented on Table 1. The estimated honey produced per region varies from 3.1 million liters in the Adamawa region to about 28 thousand liters in the North and Extreme north regions (Table 1). Adamawa is first in terms of wax production, followed by the Northwest, West, Southwest, South, East, North and Extreme North (Table 1). Royal jelly is equally produced in a small minute quantity. Average annual honey production per hive was estimated at 10.5 to 12.5 liters (Ingram and Njikeu, 2011). This production depends on the number of hives per farmer which is influenced by abundance of flowering savannah plants in the Adamawa region (Tchoumboue et al., 2001; Founadoudou, 2007; Mbogning et al., 2011). The interval between hive installation and harvesting is usually less than a year and most beekeepers careless about the interval (Tchoumboue et al., 2001). In Cameroon, most beekeepers carry out harvesting once a year (97%), at night (69%), with February and June being the main periods of harvest. Production of honey and other beekeeping products in Cameroon is on a rise due to increasing number of beekeepers since 2011 (INS, 2013, 2015, 2017).

Fig. 2a. 
Extracted and packaged honey. Source: Photos from a beekeeper in the West Region of Cameroon.

Fig. 2b. 
Pollen and Bee wax extracted. Source: Photos from a beekeeper in the West Region of Cameroon.

Though Cameroon has the potential for beekeeping, little reliable information on beekeeping industry in Cameroon is available.

According to Transparency International in 2009, Cameroon is a lower middle income poor country ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world with high incidence of bribery (141 out of 180) in 2008 with a very difficult business environment in which it operates. This problem is further exacerbated by the poor banking system (World Bank, 2009) which creates an un-conducive environment to start and maintain a good business. Until 2009 (period within which Cameroon joined the European honey market), Cameroon had no regulations on hive product quality, production and processing, imports and exports. This impacted much on the market system of apicultural products and widened consumers’ preferences on the choice of honey. Consumers prefer some honey to others due to taste, price, and the source of production. The prices of both brown and white honey varies across the country due to transportation and packaging costs (glass jars in Yaounde, plastic buckets in Oku), and increased willingness and ability to pay in the larger cities (Ingram et al., 2020). In Cameroon, increased price of beekeeping materials and hired labour could potentially influence the price of honey. The Oku white honey in the Northwest region was sought in the country’s urban areas, fetching a higher price than other honeys (Erasmus et al., 2006). The price of honey has increased from 2,000 FCFA to 4,500 FCFA and from 1,200 FCFA to 2,500 FCFA for white and brown honey respectively between 2008 to 2017 (Table 2).

Though the price of honey is increasing, honey is being imported and sold in major cities in Cameroon (Fig. 3). Honey produced in Cameroon is also exported to other neighboring countries. A small quantity of bee wax is equally exported to neighboring countries within Central Africa and Nigeria. For instance, without considering porous road borders, it was estimated that 30,000 to 50,000 liters of honey was exported to Congo, the Central African Republic and Gabon while 50,000 to 150,000 liters to Nigeria and Chad (Ingram, 2014). The price of imported honey varies from region to region and city to city (Fig. 3). In Cameroon, imported honey is expensive (varying from 4,000 to 26,000 FCFA per liter) than domestic honey. The type and prices of the different imported honey sold in Cameroon is presented in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. 
List and prices of imported honey (Erasmus et al., 2006).

Beekeeping is an important ecological (pollination) and environmental (major Non Timber Forest product) activity in the highland and savannah areas of Cameroon. Sustainable beekeeping reinforces forestation, good forest management and provides an alternative livelihood to activities such as hunting. This has led to the promotion of bee farming as a conservation positive activity in Cameroon as elsewhere (Nurse et al., 1995; Hausser and Mpuya, 2004; Timmer and Juma, 2005; Brown, 2006; Biovision, 2007; Russell, 2008). The diversity of crops cultivated in Cameroon could be aided by honeybees since Apis mellifera L. has been found to pollinate flowers, horticultural crops and vegetables worldwide (Porter and Penny, 2017). In Cameroon, promoting beekeeping practices could significantly enhance environmental and financial stability.

Bee products are considered Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs). Beekeeping practice is an important economic activity in Cameroon despite the poor market system. Bee products (honey, wax, pollen,) have high value and are providing both primary and secondary sources of income to many families. Beekeeping is a sustainable income generating activity in Adamawa region as well as Northwest, West and Southwest where it is estimated that one bee hive can yield 11,500 CFA francs to 13,900 CFA francs per year (Matso et al., 2011). While honey is used as food and sold in local markets, wax is used in the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. In Cameroon, some beekeepers from the Northwest (7%) and Ngoundere (29%) mix honey with water to brew a sweet, openly fermented alcoholic drink called sha or shah in the Northwest, ntop when mixed with raffia palm wine, and kuri or koori in Adamawa (Ingram, 2014). Bee products are also valued for medicinal purposes in the treatment of cough, skin infections and burns.

Bee products exported to other countries generate income to the government through tax paid by exporters. The demand for honey and other hive products in the world market is quite high as compared to the current production. According to Ingram (2014), the apiculture value chain and prices in Cameroon demonstrated that beekeepers sell 86 to 94% of their honey for income generation while only 6 to 10% and 2 to 4% is for home consumption and gift, respectively. It is estimated that over 30,000 Cameroonians are involved in beekeeping especially non timber exploiters and those not involved in agriculture. This has created chances for job opportunities from beekeepers to marketers and finally exporters, thus reducing unemployment rate in the country.

According to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005), habitat loss, overexploitation and unsustainable use of natural resources are major threats to biodiversity loss. Nectar and pollen are the basic food of each honey bee colony (Crane, 1999). Honey and pollen production depends on the abundance of some plant species (Segeren et al., 1996). Some of these plant species have been exploited by man for millions of years (Crane, 1999). Low honey production could be attributed to the flowering cycles of some melliferous plant species, resulting in significant variations in pollen and nectar flow (Cheek et al., 2000; Ingram, 2014). In Cameroon, apart from normal seasonal variations, 97% of beekeepers indicated that the local climate had changed, affecting honey production. It has been noted that increasing climatic variations in the last few years with an increase in extreme events: strong winds and heavy rain falls, a prolonged dry season, more seasonal variability and increased bush fires negatively affected honey and wax production (Ingram et al., 2020).

In Cameroon, above 2300 m, about half the forest cover had been converted to crop or savannah between 1978 and 2001 (Momo, 2009). In Kilum Ijim, beekeepers complaint that forest fragmentation, deforestation and degradation is decreasing the availability of forage sources, noting a decrease in melliferous species such as Prunus Africana (Ingram et al., 2020). Though traditional community councils and the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife are putting forward measures to limit deforestation rate, much is still to be done.

Cases of abandoned honey bee colonies could be attributed to lack of forage, incidence of pests and predators, poor harvesting techniques, sanitation problem, bad weather condition, bee diseases, drought, overgrazing, deforestation and shortage of water (Fig. 4) (Sahle et al., 2018). Many studies have reported that about 30% empty hives recorded in Cameroon resulted from absconding and poor hives handling (Founadoudou, 2007; Matso et al., 2011; Fotso et al., 2014; Meutchieye et al., 2018a).

Fig. 4. 
Abandoned hives caused by invaders (termites). Source: Envoronnement-Recherche-Developpement (ERD), 2018.

A number of pests and predators have been identified in honey bee colonies from different regions in Cameroon. Some of which include: small hive beetle (Aethina tumida), Dynastid (rhinoceros) beetle, Wax moths (Galleria mellonella and Megaselia grisella), bee louse (Braula sp.), phorid (Megasella scalaris), and ants (Monomorium cryptobium, Dorylus molestus, Anochetus sp, Oecophylla longinoda, Camponotus chrysurus, Discothyrea mixta, Crymatogaster depressa and Tetramorium sp) (David, 2017). In the Adamawa and Northwest regions where honey production is high, most beekeepers face severe pest attack due to poor colony management which could be attributed poverty. It has been reported that ants cause severe economic loss in honey production by killing bees and subsequently robbing their products (Tesfaye, 2014). In the Adamawa region, Meutchieye et al. (2018a) observed bee combs being infested by hive moths in poorly managed hives (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5. 
Bees’ comb heavily infested by Wax moth (Galleria mellonella). Source: Meutchieye et al., 2018a.

The use of fertilizers and pesticides by farmers in controlling crop pests, weeds and other flies is harmful to other living organisms including honey bees. Beekeepers visiting their colonies are not safe from the toxic effects of these chemicals. It had been reported that synthetic pesticides and fertilizers have potential negative effects on human health (El Moniem et al., 2008).

Management of honey bee colonies has been a real challenge in the Adamawa region where honey production is relatively high. It was reported that poor hives handling resulted to 30% empty hives recorded in the Adamawa region and elsewhere in the republic (Founadoudou, 2007; Matso et al., 2011; Fotso et al., 2014; Meutchieye et al., 2018a). The use of fire or direct smoke during harvesting could destroy brood and possibly reduce the size of the colony.

During flowering season, bees can forage on some poisonous plants which could be detrimental to them. For instance, Maisels and Forboseh (1999) reported some tree species (Anona sengelensis, Chinipodium and Afromomum spp.) in the Kilum-Ijim forest - Cameroon that bees hates due to their poisonous nature. Beekeepers are scared of these trees since they are unable to control the activities of the worker bee.