Kenya

"Developing the export potential of honey and bee products in Kenya, is the preparatory phase of the honey component of the integrated industrial development programme of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Government of Kenya. The programme aims to develop an enabling environment at the domestic level, facilitate trade and promote private sector investment as well as technology flows. It covers export development in fish, leather and leather products, dairy as well as honey. The budget of the whole programme is US$4,014,500.

The development of modern beekeeping in Kenya has progressively become a very important component of the livestock sub-sector, particularly in the arid and semi-arid areas where other forms of agriculture cannot be sustained effectively. Production levels have been expanding. However, the data available is limited and the collection, processing and marketing of honey is extremely fragmented. Exports of honey are insignificant, created in part by a lack of equipment and processes to certify the product to international standards. On the other hand niche markets for Kenyan honey have not been developed.

The current government policy on apiculture seeks to develop a modern bee-keeping industry in the country to provide additional income to rural households. In particular the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, provides assistance through intensified extension and training of both staff and farmers, research to improve hives and accessories and other equipment and to improve product quality.

To achieve the objectives set out, the project will carry out stocktaking and information gathering, capacity building based on a detailed analysis of needs, working with the stakeholders and institutions in organizing integrated operations to build up replicable and scaleable models for producing, collecting, processing, testing and certifying, packaging and marketing (domestic and international) of honey and bee products.

The project started in Kenya in October 2003. Institutional support framework for this project includes Kenya Beekeepers Association, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, National Beekeeping Station, Ministry of Health, Kenya Bureau of Standards, UNIDO's Women Entrepreneurship Development Project, Strengthening Informal Sector Training Enterprise and Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute.

Supplier preparation workshop for Kenyan horticulture and apiculture producers to access export markets
From the 18th to the 19th of November 2004, UNDP sponsored and hosted a workshop in Nairobi to educate and offer practical and specialized guidance to Kenya’s horticulture and apiculture producers to better access export markets. Carried out as one of the outputs for UNDP’s project entitled “Reducing Poverty by Linking SMEs to Export Markets” this workshop received huge welcome from Kenyan producers and exporters by allowing them to directly benefit from the dissemination of knowledge and necessary skills and tools required to successfully compete in the international export markets. More specifically, this workshop was held to precede and prepare for two very important events coming up in 2005. Under UNDP’s sponsorship, 12 Kenyan horticulture and apiculture producers were selected to represent Kenya and showcase its products at Gulfood 2005, a world renown hotel and equipment exhibition and salon culinaire fair in Dubai from 21-23 February 2005.

In addition, as a side event to this, UNDP has also organized a buyers-sellers meeting to bring together Kenyan exporters and producers with traders and importers from the Gulf Cooperation Council member countries, Mauritius, Seychelles and South Africa. Thus this supplier preparation workshop provided the unique opportunity for producers, exporters and traders to receive very focused training to prepare for business meetings and negotiations and to adapt its product offerings to the specificities of participating buyers in the up-coming two events in Dubai. The workshop sessions were interactive, practical and focused and UNDP sponsored the invitation of senior experts of horticultural and apicultural products from the International Trade Centre and a group of key Kenyan trade support institutions to facilitate the sessions. These experts were available for question and answers and took notes of individual information and assistance needs of the producers for future follow-up. This intense two day workshop was co-implemented with the Export Promotion Council of Kenya and the International Trade Centre and was well appreciated by all participants. It is expected that through this preparatory workshop and subsequent participation in the two events in Dubai, Kenyan producers will gain valuable experience in international business negotiations and familiarize themselves with international standards of world-class quality, which is demanded in the international arena. By building an internationally recognized customer reference and network, Kenyan producers, exporters, and traders will be able to further generate additional income and revenue to embark on product improvement and business expansion.