The National Honeybee Breeding Strategy (2026–2035) establishes Ethiopia’s framework for the genetic improvement, conservation and sustainable use of indigenous honeybee resources. It addresses low productivity associated with traditional management, low-yielding stock, limited breeding infrastructure, inadequate genetic characterisation and the absence of a coordinated national breeding and recording system. The Strategy seeks to increase honey production, strengthen food and nutrition security, improve beekeeper livelihoods and expand the contribution of apiculture to agro-processing, employment and domestic and export markets. Strategic interventions include phenotypic and molecular characterisation of local honeybee ecotypes, selection for honey yield, docility, hygienic behaviour, disease resistance and local adaptation, and the establishment of nucleus breeding centres and mating sites. The Strategy promotes open breeding systems in the medium term, supported by queen rearing, drone flooding, progeny testing and performance recording, while advanced methods such as genomic selection and artificial insemination may support longer-term improvement. Measures also address indigenous genetic-resource conservation, climate-resilient honeybee stocks, a national breeding database, queen certification, technical training, gender-responsive extension and private-sector participation in stock multiplication and service delivery. Implementation is divided into foundational, operational and long-term phases. Initial measures include launching a national breeding database, characterising priority ecotypes and equipping three nucleus breeding centres; subsequent targets include establishing satellite mating sites, validating improved stock and operating 20 breeding centres nationwide.
埃塞俄比亚 · 2026-04-01