Abstract:
The study was carried out on Honey bee production practices, constraints and honey qualities in
Sigmo District, Jimma zone, Southwestern Ethiopia, in four selected kebeles of Sigmo district.
Beekeeping is the practice of rearing bees with the aim of exploiting its products. The objective
of this study was to asses honey bee production system, its constraints and honey quality
produced in the study area. From each districts 120 beekeepers and 25 traders of honey were
randomly selected and 8 key informant and 2 experts from office were purposively selected and
interviewed. In general, a total of 155 respondents participated in this study. The selected
beekeepers were interviewed using structured questioners, discussion and formal survey method.
Quality of honey produced in the study area was analyzed in the laboratory. The result of the
study showed that majority of the respondents in the study area followed traditional production
system but only few beekeepers started transitional and modern beekeeping production system.
Based on the result of this study, the existence of pests and predators were a major challenge to
the honeybees and beekeepers in the study area. In all surveyed areas, the beekeepers reported
the presence of ants, wax moth, honey badger, mites, spider, lizard and bee-eating birds in order
of their decreasing importance. Traditionally, the beekeepers used their own methods of pests
and predators control like application of ash under the stand of the hive, hanging hives on long
trees, cleaning around the apiary site, using dog for large predators like honey badger, fencing
their apiary site and etc. Laboratory analysis revealed that the quality of honey within the range
of moisture content of highland honey was 17.1 while the midland honey was 18.99., Ash
contents of highland honey was 1.9 while the midland was 1.70., pH of highland honey was 3.67
while mid land was 3.7. Almost all samples of honey examined were within the acceptable range
of world and national standard. To sustain the beekeeping activity introducing affordable and
appropriate beekeeping technologies with all accessories, strengthening the appropriate
beekeeping management practices, and creating awareness specially to women is important
