By CHATULA KANGALI –

BEE Sweet Honey is next year expected to increase its production of honey from 200 to 600 tonnes per annum.
The farm which is located in Kafakumba area currently produces about 250 tonnes of organic honey per annum for both local consumption and export.
Bee Sweet director John Enright said the expansion project to cost in excess of $100,000 would start by January next year.
“We are scheduled to start the project in the first week of January next year. We hope to increase the production of honey from   about 250 tonnes to 600  tonnes  per  annum. There is a high demand for Zambian honey in developed countries, ” said Mr Enright.
Mr  Enright said  this  when Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Siazongo  Siakalenge  toured his farm  in Ndola yesterday.
He told Mr Siakalenge  that he was working hard so that he increases honey production up to the value of $70 million per annum.
Mr Enright disclosed that he had 10,000 out grower schemes and had employed about 11,000 workers involved  in the  harvesting of  honey.
He  said Bee Sweet  was  exporting  its  organic  honey  to the United Kingdom  were  it  is packaged and was next  week expected to start exporting  30 tonnes to Canada.
Mr Siakalenge was impressed with the production of honey by sweet bee.
He said that there was need for honey to be exported to the United States of America under the Africa Grouth Opportunity Act (AGOA).
Mr Siakalenge  urged Bee Sweet to increase its honey production from targeted 600 tonnes to one million tonnes to be exported to USA.
“Our exports figures to the US under the AGOA have not been very well. That is why we are here to see to it your honey is exported to the USA,” he said.