Abstract:

The aim of the study was to assess beekeeping practices, challenges and honey marketing system in Bule Hora and Dugda Dawa districts. The study result showed that traditional beekeeping was dominant (90.54%). However, the number of traditional hives owned per household was significantly different (P<0.05), at Bule Hora58.3% and Dugda Dawa district 83%of the respondent’s started beekeeping by caching the swarm.In Bule Hora and Dugda Dawa district 66.7% and 62.5% of the respondents were place traditional hive hanging on a tree near their homestead respectively. The index ranked result showed that honey badger (0.44), ant (0.32) and wax moth (0.11) were the most important economic pest and predators in the area. Moreover, application of herbicide and pesticide, lack of improved honeybee equipment, pest and predator, knowledge gaps and honeybee forage availability were the major challenges which hinder beekeeping in the area.