Bee farmers in Oyam receive Shs 75mln equipment boost
OYAM, July 22, 2026 — Bario Bee Farmers Group and Camikwok Bee Farmers Group in Abok Subcounty, Oyam district, have received beekeeping equipment worth Shs 75 million under the Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project [UCSATP], a government initiative aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and building farmers’ resilience to climate change.
The equipment handed over to the two groups includes 100 beehives for each group, 20 smokers, 20 honey harvesting buckets, 20 hive knives, 20 bee brushes, 20 hive tools, 20 bee suits, 20 pairs of gumboots and 20 pairs of gloves.
Speaking during the handover ceremony organised on Monday at the district headquarters, Francis Behangana, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, challenged the beneficiaries to effectively utilise the equipment to improve household incomes and economically transform their families.
Behangana also encouraged the farmers to mobilise other community members to embrace government agricultural programmes, saying they provide opportunities for sustainable socio-economic transformation.
“Adopt climate-smart and commercial farming practices, including mechanisation where applicable, in order to increase productivity, improve resilience to climate change, and maximise profits from agriculture,” Behangana said.
Dr Ronald Were, the UCSATP Focal Point Person for Oyam district, commended the Government of Uganda for supporting farmers through initiatives aimed at improving agricultural production and household incomes.
He explained that UCSATP operates under a co-funding arrangement where beneficiary groups contribute 20 per cent of the project cost, while the government provides the remaining 80 percent.
“I would like to thank you for embracing this programme, especially the bee farmers in this sub-county. You have set a good example among other sub-counties. Today, we are in the second sub-county redeeming inputs under this project. I encourage farmers to formally register their groups with the district and pay the required co-funding to enhance their access to this programme,” Were said.
The Senior Entomologist for Oyam district, George Olio, urged members of the groups to work together in harvesting, processing and marketing their honey collectively.
He advised the farmers to follow best beekeeping management practices to improve yields, noting that the district technical team would continue providing support supervision throughout the project.
“Before you do anything, sit down as a group and discuss how you can implement the management practices we have trained you on, especially hanging or deploying hives, clearing sites and fencing. You have to provide security for your hives, and in case of anything such as theft, inform the security authorities so that you remain protected,” Opio said.
George Ebong, the Chairperson of Bario Beekeeping Group, said the members contributed Shs7.4 million in co-funding, while the government contributed Shs29.95 million, bringing the total project value to approximately Shs37 million.
He said the arrangement was more affordable compared with individual purchases of the equipment.
“With this small co-funding contribution of Shs370,000 by each of the 20 group members, every member is expected to receive 10 beehives, one smoker, five harvesting buckets, one hive knife, one hive tool, one bee brush, one bee suit, one pair of gumboots and one pair of gloves,” Ebong said.
Meanwhile, Moses Oboke, the LCIII Chairperson of Abok Subcounty, urged the community to embrace climate-smart agriculture, saying dependence on low-value cereal crops had limited farmers’ economic progress.
“Now we have a small portion of land, so we need to embrace smart agriculture, and this is the direction we have agreed to take. Have a sense of ownership because in the past, the government would bring projects and people would receive them, but they would not put them into use. The next day, there would be no impact. As a sub-county, I want to assure you that we are going to conduct intensive monitoring together with the technical team. We want this project to create a positive impact on your lives, households and the community,” Oboke said.
Beekeeping in Oyam district is a thriving, sustainable, and low-labor agribusiness driven by local cooperatives and supported by government climate-smart projects. The district currently has over 10,000 bee farmers producing approximately 400 tonnes of honey annually, which is sold in both local and national markets despite ongoing challenges.
The Uganda Climate Smart Agricultural Transformation Project is a six-year government initiative supported by the World Bank. The project, implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries [MAAIF], is being rolled out in 69 districts across the country, targeting improvements in fisheries, crops, livestock and beneficial insects.
UCSATP is designed to boost agricultural productivity, strengthen value chains and enhance climate resilience while providing a rapid response mechanism to agricultural crises.
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