Women key to honey production -Kwithu

Agriculture stakeholders have been asked to develop sustainable strategies that empower women including the elderly in bee keeping.

The move is touted to be a critical element that can help boost the sector as well as expand production of honey and honey products

According to Kwithu Kitchen regional sales manager Cephas Lingani, women have been key in meeting the huge demand for honey countrywide.

Lingani attributed the remarkable flourishing of honey production to correlation that exists with women who are grouped into cooperatives.

“We distribute beehives to vulnerable women for them to commence bee keeping and once harvest season comes, we buy the honey from them. This is one way of making sure that the women are financially empowered,” highlighted Lingani.

Empowering women financially not only advances gender equality but also catalyzes the growth of honey production, benefiting communities and ecosystems alike.

Former minister of gender and social welfare Patricia Kaliati once emphasized on the need to give women a marginalized group in society despite many efforts by various groups, equal opportunities to engage in income sourcing activities.

She said: “We believe that when women are economically empowered, most challenges will come to an end.”

Some analysts have supported such commitment form private companies saying it is one way of contributing to governments efforts towards achieving the Malawi 2063 vision.

The vision has pillars which include Agriculture Productivity and Commercialization, Industrialization and Urbanization.