ASSESSMENT OF HONEY PRODUCTION SYSTEM, CONSTRAINTS AND OPPORTUNITIES IN SELECTED KEBELES OF HAWASSA CITY ADMINISTRATION, ETHIOPIA

The study was intended to assess honey production system, constraints and opportunities in selected kebeles of Hawassa city administration, sidama zone in 2018/19. Production limitation has resulted with a significant complain among the beekeepers and all concerned bodies regarding the possible threat for decreasing honey production in the area. Cross-sectional types of studies were used to collect data. 20 beekeepers were selected from each kebeles using purposive sampling method to conduct formal survey with semi-structured questionnaire making a total of 100 interviewed bee keepers. The main purpose of keeping honey bees were for both income generation and home consumption. The main sources of the foundation colony were catching swarm (80%) and gift from parents (20%). Most (40%) of the beekeepers in the study area have owned only traditional hives and all the three types of hive owned (32%). Beekeepers in the study area prevent the incidence of swarming by return back to the colony (56%), removal of queen cell (16%) and cutting of combs (28%). The average amount of honey harvested per hive per year from traditional hive, transitional and frame hive was 5.6±1.49kg, 11.9±3.15kg and 10.8±2.91kg, respectively. There was (p