The study aims to evaluate major challenges, opportunities and future prospects of bee keeping and honey production in three districts of Waghimra Zone (Abergell, Sekota and Gazgibala). To collect data, 332 respondents were selected using systematic random sampling from the three districts. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire, observation, keyinformant interveiw and focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using descriptative statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version-20. The results of this study indicated that beekeeping is one of the most important income generating activities besides other agricultural activities. The major challenges identified were prevalence of pests and predators, recurrent drought, indiscriminate application of pesticides and herbicides, lack of bee forage associated with deforestation, lack of credit service for the beekeeping sector, absconding and migration of bee colonies, high cost and limited availability of modern beekeeping equipment's and accessories, shortage of water, and lack of skill in beekeeping management. It has been revealed that the opportunities for beekeeping in the study areas were the existence of abundance of honeybee colonies, availability of potential flowering plants, sources of water for bees, increasing market demand for beehive products, existence of soil and water conservation practice and area enclosure in the area, beekeepers' experience and indigenous knowledge and socioeconomic value of honey. Thus, based on these findings, improving the awareness of the beekeepers through training and strong extension service, supplying cheap bee keeping inputs, capacitating to beekeepers to control the pests and predators are important to address the identified challenges and to improve the overall honey production in Waghimara Zone.

This study was carried out to evaluate the beekeeping husbandry practices and honey production in three districts of Waghimra Zone (Abergell, Sekota and Gazgibala). To collect the data, 332 respondents were selected using systematic random sampling from the three districts. Data were collected using semi-structured questionnaire, observation, key information interview and focus group discussion. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA using SPSS version-20. The overall trends of bee colony and honey production are declining over the last 5 years. The average honey yield per year/colony was 10.16, 13.61 and 23.32 kg for traditional, transitional and moveable frame hives, respectively. Most of the respondents (68.4%) in the study area practiced traditional beekeeping whereas 7.8 and 23.8% of the respondents practiced transitional and modern bee keeping system, respectively. There was a significant difference (p<0.05%) among the three agro-ecologies on traditional honeybee colonies holding per household. The major source of household income is from crop production 27.7%, livestock production 23.8%, beekeeping activities 16.9% and irrigation 15.4%. Therefore, beekeeping is the third ranking source of income for the households in the study area. Most of the respondents (bee keepers) visit their bees some times and rarely in months. Generally, beekeeping is still the 3rd major source of income for the households in the study area next to crop and livestock production, however, the expected output or income has not earned from this subsector due to various challenges existed in the study area. Thus, based on these findings, improving the awareness of the beekeepers through training is important to address the identified challenges and to improve the overall honey production in Waghimara Zone.