Beekeeping Microenterprises and Unemployment in Nyatike Constituency, Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

Unemployment is a big challenge in both developed and developing countries and various governments have taken steps in an effort to curb the high levels of unemployment faced by their citizens. Microenterprise formation and entrepreneurship have been widely pushed forth as a means to create employment and one of the areas of venture creation put forth in Kenya is the beekeeping industry. Beekeeping is seen as a business fairly easy to start with minimal capital requirement and not too labor intensive while utilizing very little land, Bradbear, (2009). The study looks at the beekeeping industry in Migori County, Nyatike Constituency with an objective to determine its addition to the economy and in creation of employment in the area. Nyatike Constituency’s beekeeping industry has been a beneficiary of both county and donor support. This support has been given in order to equip the locals with skills and opportunities to create self-employment and alleviate poverty in the area. The methodology that the study uses to achieve its objectives is a mixed method research design in order to understand both the beekeepers and beekeeping as a business in Nyatike. The main finding of the study is that the beekeeping industry despite being a recipient of support from various government and non-governmental bodies in Nyatike, is still not achieving its main objective for which it was set up and that is to create employment. This is due largely to a lack of a good supply chain management and good business practice by the beekeepers because the trainings they receive do not focus on business essentials.