Expanding quality and volume
Strengthening honey enterprise capacity and value addition in Mwinilunga.
Members of the Mwinilunga Honey Producers Association showcase their packaged honey, demonstrating strengthened enterprise capacity and value addition (Photo: Mukaba Mukaba/FAO)
The Mwinilunga Honey Producers Association (MHPA) is a community-based organisation located in Mwinilunga district in Northwestern province in Zambia. Registered in 2019, the association was established to unite smallholder beekeepers and create better economic opportunities for rural households.
At the time of its registration, MHPA had 74 members and relied solely on selling unprocessed honey. They lacked processing equipment, tools and technical skills. This limited their ability to access premium markets, add value or negotiate better prices.
In 2023, members sold 2,000 buckets of raw honey at a maximum price of US$21 per bucket, generating about $41,750 annually, with very low profit margins and no value added.
Forest and Farm Facility activities
With business incubation support mediated through the Zambia National Forest Commodities Association (ZNFCA) and funded by the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF), the situation began to change significantly. During 2023, MHPA members received forest product value-addition training delivered through ZNFCA, equipping them with skills in processing, packaging, labelling and meeting formal market standards.
In 2024, a further grant from FFF helped MHPA to procure modern beekeeping processing equipment and supported the construction of a bulking centre for storage, aggregation and quality assurance.
These interventions improved hygiene, legislative compliance and production capacity, enabling the association to transition from selling raw honey to producing a high-quality liquid honey product attractive to better-paying markets.
Significance of impact
The impact of these interventions has been substantial. By 2024, membership of MHPA had risen from 74 to 104 active beekeepers (15 adult men and 10 adult women, 35 male youths and 44 female youths). With improved processing capacity, MHPA produced and sold 1,332 buckets of liquid honey at $52 each, more than doubling the price per bucket – this was despite unfavourable climate conditions reducing the overall volume produced. This generated over $69,500, representing a 40% increase in profit compared to their raw honey sales.
Each of the 104 members directly benefited from the income generated, while 10% of the total earnings was reinvested into the association, as required by its constitution. For the first time, honey was fully processed, packaged and labelled locally, adding value, improving quality and expanding the product’s market reach.
The shift to value addition also opened space for more women and youth to participate in the honey value chain. While hive handling and honey harvesting are labour-intensive and typically male-dominated, the processing stage created new opportunities for women and young people to engage meaningfully and earn an income.
Conclusion
Through targeted FFF enterprise development support, technology enhancement and improved market readiness, MHPA has transitioned from a group selling low-value raw honey to a growing, value-adding enterprise capable of generating higher incomes for its members and sustaining long-term growth.
Further reading
News: Forest and farm producers at the center of sustainable development: FAO facility equips Zambian producers to reach their potential (December 2018), FAO