I have recently returned from a trip to Cameroon in west Africa and had the opportunity to see several apiaries as well as talk with a number of beekeepers. Believe it or not the people I met with use the African honeybee. We obviously approached the hives slowly and didn't get too close. They used the Kenyan top bar hive and then used grass or palm leaves on top of the hives 'cause the bees get agitated when rain hits the top of the hives. The beekeepers are able to produce quite a bit of honey due to an enormous amount of nectar available. The biggest problem for the producers is a market. The local economy is very weak (dismally weak compared to anything in the West) and can only support a limited amount of honey. Shipping to the larger cities has a host of problems (vehicles, local road fees, contacts, etc.) and even then the producer can not be sure he'll be able to sell much honey without being taken advantage of. I was asked many times what I knew or could tell them about how to develop markets for their honey. Unfortunately, I could not tell them much but am hopeful that over time I can give them some ideas. Is there anything that honey is a component to which these beekeepers could possible market their crop?? I post this all for your information but would certainly welcome any thoughts on their beekeeping practices and their problem of finding markets for the honey. Mark [log in to unmask] :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::