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Report on Hargeisa Trade Fair, March 3rd-6th 2001
April 2001
This year's trade fair, organised by the Somaliland Chamber of Commerce
and Progressive Interventions of Ireland was very successful with
over 100 exhibitors at the fair. These consisted of mostly local small
business.
Somaliland in the North West of the former Somalia enjoys relative
peace and stability unlike other parts of Somalia. This relative
peace has allowed local business to prosper. In recent years there has
been
a growing interest in beekeeping as a source of income. Honey is
a high value commodity in Somalia with prices in the range of $3-$10
US dollars per kg. Most local honey in the North East and North West
of Somalia is collected from wild colonies (nesting in rock and tree
cavities) with beekeeping in fixed comb log hives confined mainly
to the Juba and Shabelle river valleys in the South. Efforts are now
underway,
led by Progressive Interventions (PI), to promote the keeping of
bees in hives. To encourage interest in bees PI's stand at this years
Fair
demonstrated different beekeeping technologies from the simple box
hive to the top-bar hive and frame hive Langstroth.
In addition two other local groups of beekeepers (Dawo and Celwo
from Hargeisa), trained by Apiconsult for PI, displayed and sold
their products
- beeswax candles, body creams and shoe polish (all made from beeswax)
as well as local honey. Before training by Apiconsult all beeswax
was discarded.
If you are interested in further information on beekeeping in Somalia,
PI have produced two guides to beekeeping in the country:
1. A Technical Beekeeping Guide - aimed at small scale resource-poor
beekeepers
2. A guide to commercial beekeeping - aimed at potential investors
in the sector, in particular from the Somali Diaspora who are
encouraged to return home and establish businesses.
Further information on Hargeisa Trade Fair can be obtained from Progressive
Interventions: info@pinterventions.org.
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