Business
Pollination Can Improve Agric Yields By 90%- Bee Keepers
Some bee keepers and farmers have said that beekeeping and pollination activities could improve agricultural yields by 90 per cent and contribute to food security in Nigeria.
The farmers, who gave the advice at a media engagement with Api-Exposition Africa 2018 Organising Committee in Abuja on Saturday, said that beekeeping could also provide employment opportunities for youths.
The media engagement was to avail journalists the opportunity to create awareness on the need for bee stakeholders to participate in the upcoming “ApiExpo 2018” slated for Abuja in September.
Mrs Obianuju Okpo, the National President, Women in Beekeeping, said that practicing and promoting bee-keeping was necessary to ensure food security and achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Nigeria.
She said that the world beekeeping trade value according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) stood at 450 billion dollars (N162 trillion) annually, while the pollination services were valued at 250 billion dollars (N90 trillion).
Okpo said that Ethiopia had a market share of 40,000 tonnes worth 255.3 million dollars in the world annual production of bee products especially honey.
She noted that the economic, health benefits of bees and its derivatives were enormous, adding that herbs produced across the world contained about 45 per cent of bee-products.
“Cashew can increase its yields by 212 per cent due to bee pollination,” she said.
The Leader, Mobilisation Team, Mr Oluwaseun Johnson, said that pollinators such as bees, birds and bats affect 35 per cent of worlds’ crops production.
He noted that bees pollinate apples, almonds, oranges, avocados, pumpkin and cucumber by 90 per cent, saying that fruits will be non-existent without the bees.
The Chairman of the ApiExpo Organising Committee, Dr Dooshima Kwange, said that Nigeria would host the 6th Edition of the ApiExpo Africa.
Kwange said that ApiExpo was a continental exposition organised by ApiTrade Africa to bring together every allied industry around the global beekeeping industry.
She expressed optimism that the exposition would help bring together bee stakeholders across the world with a view to promoting the potentials of the sub-sector.
“This meeting is to acquaint the media with information about apiculture sub-sector and its potentials for wealth creation, economic diversification and sustainable development, to reach bee farmers and stakeholders in the rural areas,” Kwange said.
The facility will be disbursed through participating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which will in turn extend the loans to their customers, particularly SMEs, as they directly interface with businesses at the grassroots level.
The Executive Director of COMCIN, Mr. Micheal Ogbaa who represented the Chairman, Dr. Iredele Oyedele (FCA, FCCA), said the initiative is designed to strengthen micro-lending institutions and expand access to finance for grassroots entrepreneurs, particularly women and youths in the informal sector.
Ogbaa explained that COMCIN does not lend directly to individuals but works through its network of microfinance and cooperative institutions, which in turn provide loans to end users.
“We came together to advocate for the microfinance ecosystem. Commercial banks often exclude people at the grassroots, but our members are positioned to reach them. This facility will empower them to do more,” he said.
He noted that the loan scheme offers low interest rates and flexible repayment plans, making it more accessible to small business owners.
According to him, about 90 percent of beneficiaries are expected to be women, who play a key role in sustaining families and driving economic activities at the local level.
“Our focus is on traders, service providers, and players in the informal sector. These are the real movers of the economy. By supporting them, we are strengthening families and contributing to national development,” he added.
Ogbaa disclosed that eligible SMEs with proven integrity and business track records could access up to N5 million each through participating micro-lending institutions. The rollout has commenced in Lagos and will extend to Abuja, Enugu, and other regions, including the South-West, South-East, and North-East.
He said 12 micro-lending institutions have already benefited from the scheme, while 85 applications are currently being processed under the pilot phase.
“Our target is to reach at least 100,000 SMEs nationwide. We are building a platform that connects funding partners with credible micro-lending institutions, creating a reliable channel for financial inclusion,” Ogbaa said.
He added that COMCIN is also working to attract larger funding pools from development finance institutions and private investors, noting that successful implementation of the pilot phase would boost confidence and unlock more capital for SMEs.
“We have seen encouraging testimonies from early beneficiaries. As we demonstrate transparency and efficiency, more institutions will be willing to channel funds through us,” he said.
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