Kenya

"Commercial Insects Project."

1. WILD SILK FARMING

Mwingi project was initiated in 1995 through icipe's Commercial Insects Program (CIP). CIP initially received financial support from icipe's core fund, which is largely provided by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Later in 1996, a Technical Advisory Grant (TAG) was approved by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for icipe through CIP to continue investigating the potential for apiculture (modern beekeeping) and to survey and collect baseline information on the potential of wild silk farming as means of diversifying income generation for the improvement of the livelihoods of farmers. After three years of research the potential races for silk and honey production were selected and bred for the production bee hive and silk based products. More groups were selected and trained in silk and honey based technologies in collaboration with NARs to enhance the productivity in the farmer's field

Click here to read the Daily Newspaper article on the opening of the Mwingi Silkworm market place.

Mwingi District was a suitable place for these activities as it is one of the leading honey producing zone in Kenya and there has always been exploitation of the beekeepers by middlemen (brokers). Mwingi District is also situated in an arid and semi-arid zone and its climate is hot and dry for most of the year. Because of the harsh climate and unreliable rainfall, the district is faced with recurrent droughts and food shortages. The people turn to charcoal burning which is a threat to biodiversity conservation in the district. Apiculture and wild silk farming are alternatives that offer the people eco-friendly alternatives for income generation.

2. BEEKEEPING

Initially, CIP worked with the Mathyakani Joint Self-Help Group ( comprising 32 farmers) and later other groups joined. As of now, more than 40 self-help groups are involved and these have formed the Mwingi District Beekeepers Joint Self Help Group consisting of about 1,800 farm families. This is an umbrella body for all the beekeepers in the district and it is through this body in collaboration with icipe, the British High Commission and IFAD funded the project on the Mwingi Honey Market Place Development in 2002. The Ministry Livestock Production, Mwingi provided the land on which the Mwingi Honey Marketplace was constructed.

In 2004, UNDP GEF/IFAD funded the project through icipe which has developed the Mwingi Silk Marketplace.

The objective of these Marketplaces is to create market outlets for the farmers in Mwingi to help them attain self-sustainability in the marketing of honeybee, stingless bee and wild silk-based products and improve their household income. This would develop strong linkages with the forest conservation process and save the biodiversity.

Since the project started the production of comb honey from the trained groups has increased from 2.0 tons in 1997 to 30 tons in 2005. The Wild silk farming has started with five groups in 2005 with a production of 3,398 (cocoons and has increased to 5,561 cocoons in 2006. Through icipe, some farmers have been trained as trainers for both beekeeping and wild silk farming activities. They train their fellow farmers from production, quality control. Training on processing, packaging and branding of the products has been done to the members who run the marketplaces. To date over 50 farmer trainers have been trained. Extension officers from the Forest and Livestock departments have also received training through the UNDP GEF project to offer guidance to the groups in forest conservation and income generation.

The management of the Marketplace is through the Chairman's executive committee. icipe is currently playing a key role in linking traders to the Mwingi Marketplaces and also training the management so that strong market linkages are in place for sustainability of the project. Viking house, Bridgeworks, Biops and Wild Living are some of the private companies involved in the marketing of Mwingi Marketplaces products.

The success of this project is the success of the small-scale farmers in Mwingi District. The groups elect the officials who run the marketplace and ensure continued production of high quality products. This is a long term and sustainable project, which will enhance the income of farmers and uphold environmental conservation in Mwingi District.