A Survey on Honey and Hive Products; Kitui, Kenya, 2004

In conjunction with ADRA, FCI undertook a study to examine the production, consumption and marketing of honey in Kitui.
The study also looked into different ways in which production can be increased.
The study revealed that beekeeping is culturally a male activity probably because bees are aggressive for women to cope with, especially during harvesting.
Only 50% of the hives were colonized. This is because farmers lack the skills to catch swarms. They also neglected hives. Being a dry season, some bees could have migrated to search for water and nectar.

Some farmers kept bees as a hobby and not as an income-generating activity.
Honey processing is done using crude methods. Dead bees are hand picked. Crude honey is mashed using sticks, then honey is strained in perforated buckets. However, honeycombs are sometimes mashed together with pure honey and the mashing sticks may also be dirty.
Honey is scooped using hands and this may lead to contamination.
It was recommended that:

Farmers be trained on how to make modern hives (langstroth) and finance facilitated. Those with traditional log hives were to be trained on hygienic harvesting and handling of honey.
Farmers were to be sensitized on the viability of commercial honey production.
Honey production and consumption was to be promoted in different media.
There was need to establish partnerships between the farmers and Kenya Beekeepers’ Association.
Policies were to be reinforced to enable local producers access export markets.