ECONOMIC commentators from across an array of back drops have argued, and rightly so, that Zambia should wake up from the slumber of dependency of copper exports  as the mainstay of the national economy and chief foreign exchange earner.
Calls have been advanced that time was ripe for the country to diversify its economy by propping up  tourism, agriculture and other related sectors of the economy to help the country score socio-economic expansion.
It is for this reason that Government is committed to supporting efforts aimed at diversifying the economy from copper dependency.
The announcement comes in the wake of recent reports that developed countries are demanding Zambian honey as it is natural and rare to find.
Zambia has potential to earn over US$12 million from  the  excess of 10,000 tonnes of honey exports annually if the country has to increase investment in research and technology.
The honey sector can contribute to policies that will revamp the business to its full potential, thus creating jobs and income generation among the rural communities.
Current statistics show that there are over 30,000 smallholder beekeepers who  are actively engaged in beekeeping.
If these smallholders are properly harnessed and supported, Zambia is capable of producing over 10,000 tonnes of honey annually instead of the current 2,000 tonnes, translating into about $12 million in foreign exchange through exports
Despite all these glaring revelations, there are a lot more others with the ability and potential to add value to the honey sector but severely lack  resources to penetrate the market for the  whole benefit of diversifying the national economy from dependency on mining activities concentrated on copper.
Calls by Government to consider exporting honey to the United States of America under the Africa Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA) is a clear indication that the country is diversifying the national economy with a bias towards export orientation as opposed to importation of exorbitant finished goods and services, which was the case in the present status.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Siazongo Siakalenge says Government was considering to  include honey exports under the AGOA.
““Our exports figures to the US under  the  AGOA have not been very well. That is why we are here to see the levels of  production and see to it that honey is exported to the USA,”
Many economic commentators have welcomed the noble decision by the Government to move away from dependence on copper exports to exploiting other ‘silent’ sectors of the economy such as honey, agriculture and tourism among others,
Already, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and Parodi Group,  an Argentna-based honey producer and trader,  have partnered to boost the quality and production of honey in Zambia to  increase exports.
Through this partnership, Parodi will provide advice and technical assistance to Zambian beekeepers free of charge.
In Zambia, ITC and its local partners will select companies and beekeepers to work with and receive training from ITC and Matrunita Mediterranea, Parodi’s Italy-based subsidiary.
This collaboration is part of ITC’s Promoting Intraregional Trade in Eastern Africa project, which aims at stepping up cooperation between larger and smaller private-sector enterprises to achieve sustainable development.

“Launching this partnership between ITC and Parodi is only the first step in what we hope will be a long-term relationship that overcomes geographic boundaries.
We aim to create a gateway to international markets for African honey producers,” ITC deputy executive director, Dorothy Tembo said.
The goal of the collaboration signed at ITC’s Geneva headquarters is not only to move Zambian honey producers up the value chain through improved quality, but to integrate producers into Parodi’s global distribution network. If successful, the project will be replicated in Tanzania.
According to Parodi, the African continent holds the future of beekeeping and continued expansion in the honey industry. Increasing consumption of honey worldwide in recent years has resulted in demand outstripping supply.
“Selling honey is about telling stories, and I think together with ITC, we will be able to
amplify the voice of all the farmers and beekeepers and tell their story to the customers. Trade can empower and create a better life for them,”  Parodi Group and Sole Administrator of Matrunita Mediterranea Chief Operating Officer Santiago Herrero said .
For ITC, Parodi is a good match, the company moves 25,000 tonnes of honey every year, equivalent to 5.5 per cent of the world’s honey trade.
In a related development,Bee Sweet Honey is next year expected to increase its production of honey from 200 to 600 tonnes per year.
The farm which is located in Kafakumba area in Ndola currently produces about 250 tonnes  of organic honey per annum for both local consumption and export.
Bee Sweet director John Enright said the expansion project  to cost in excess of $100,000,  would start by January next year.
“We are scheduled to start the project in the first of January next year. We hope to increase the production of honey from   about 250 tonnes to 600 tonnes  per  annum. There is a high demand for Zambian honey in developed countries,”Mr Enright said.
Mr  Enright said  this  when Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Siazongo  Siakalenge  toured his  farm  in Ndola  recently.
He said that he was working hard so that he increases honey production up to the value of $70 million per annum.
Mr Enright disclosed that he had 10,000 out growers’ schemes and had employed about 11,000 workers involved in the harvesting of honey.
He  said Bee Sweet  was  exporting  its  organic  honey  to the United Kingdom  were  it  is packaged  as ‘Mama Buci ’and was soon expected to  export  30 tonnes to Canada.
However, it is sad to note that the honey sector in Zambia has not been fully developed and is faced with a number of challenges such as limited access to markets and modern technology and limited investment in research and development.
For the country to sustain the demand from the international market,there is need for honey factories to be revamped and create new ones in bee swarm areas across the country.
With this, Zambia can become a major honey exporter in Africa and  hence,  increase the country’s export earnings.