By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –
THE Zambia Honey Council (ZHC) plans to set up an independent company that will be responsible for the marketing and buying of honey.
ZHC national chairperson Samuel Banda said the company which will  be buying honey from beekeepers and assist other traders who are not able to reach the remote areas.
“We have resolved that due to lack of proper funding, the council should come up with an independent company called Zambia Honey Company Plc which will be buying honey from its members,” Mr Banda said.
This is contained in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday.
Mr Banda said the company would be managed by a board of directors and beekeepers.
“All this is part and parcel of the ZHC’s efforts to find ways of reducing poverty among the poor Zambian honey producers,” Mr Banda said.
He said in 2015, ZHC reached out to more than 6,500 beekeepers out of the total membership of 15,600.
“A total of 2,500 training manuals were distributed to our operational districts of Kapiri Mposhi, Petauke, Monze, Mufumbwe, Lukulu, Kabompo, Chama, Chongwe, Mambwe and Kazungula,” Mr Banda said.
This translated into more than 650 000 kilogrammes of honey passing through collecting points popularly known as bulking centres.
He said this was recorded in the May to August honey flow period, 30 per cent higher than what was recorded last year.
“This is a sign that our honey producers are getting more organised by the day and also understand their roles and responsibilities.
“To date, we have managed to distribute over 60 bicycles to our trainers of trainers against a total of 105 trained trainers who are doing this noble job purely on voluntary basis,” he said.