OPENING REMARKS & SPEECHES

Welcome
by Director of Animal Resources, Dr. William Olaho Mukani.

The Director of Animal Resources welcomed all the participants to the Workshop. He led the self-introduction of the participants and thereafter welcomed the Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries, Rt. Hon. Bright Rwamirama to make his opening remarks.

Opening remarks
by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries,
Rt. Hon. Bright Rwamirama.

In his opening remarks, the Minister expressed his gratitude for being part of the African Honey Trade Workshop.  He expressed concern about the fact that less than 10% of bee production potential has been utilised in Africa.  He indicated that the government of Uganda is putting emphasis on value addition and increased agricultural production in order to fight poverty.

The Minister encouraged different stakeholders in the honey trade sector to take advantage of the favourable environment in Africa and increase the production and foreign marketing of honey.  He indicated the Government's willingness to support the production and marketing of honey.

Official opening
by the Honourable First Lady, Mrs, Janet Museveni (MP)

In her opening remarks, the First Lady said that she was greatly honoured to meet African beekeepers and needed assurance that the Uganda Beekeepers Association was still active.  She indicated her interest in honey production and her efforts to promote the beekeeping industry in Uganda include working with UWESO in different districts in Uganda to produce and pack honey for sale.  She also mentioned her role in mobilising and encouraging Uganda’s beekeepers to form an association for promoting the honey trade in Ugandan communities, with the view that the association will bring unity amongst beekeepers and provide guidance on production and marketing of honey as a community activity.

She pointed out the opportunity for Uganda, and Africa as a whole, to penetrate the world honey market by filling the gap created by China, which has in the past been forced out of the EU honey market because of impurities in Chinese honey.  Since China had been Europe's largest honey supplier, this has created a shortage of honey of the required standard*.

She encouraged beekeepers in Africa to take advantage of the unpolluted environment of Africa and promote African honey on the world market.  She strongly encouraged the formation of a beekeepers association to help strengthen the Ugandan beekeepers capacity to penetrate the honey market both locally and internationally.

The First Lady advised the beekeepers in Africa to first explore and satisfy the local markets, and by this process, to build their capacity to meet international market requirements.  She called for joint efforts from different players to enable Africa to penetrate the world honey market and indicated that the Uganda Government is ready to do all it can to assist honey producers and promote access to the international market.

* China is now permitted to sell its honey to Europe again, having improved its quality control procedures.