Analysis of access to apiculture supporting services by smallholder farmers in northern Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted to analyze factors affecting access to apiculture supporting services by smallholder beekeepers in Ahferom district of Tigray region, Ethiopia. Primary data were collected by interviewing 130 randomly selected smallholder beekeepers during March to April 2011. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and econometric (probit) model. Probit model results of farmers' access to extension service revealed that number of productive members, beekeeping experience, age, farm size, distance to Farmers Training Center (FTC), number of bee colonies and ownership of Radio, TV and/or mobile phone were significant factors. Likewise, other off/non-farm activity, distance to FTC and number of bee colonies significantly affected farmers' access to credit service. Similarly, sex, other off/non-farm activity, distance to FTC and district town, beekeeping experience, ownership of radio, TV and/or mobile phone were significantly associated with farmers' access to input supply service. Therefore, these significant factors in accessing apiculture supporting services should be considered by policy-makers and planners of governmental and NGOs in setting their policies and strategies of institutional services development and apiculture production improvement interventions in Ahferom district and in areas with similar settings.