Honey production in Uganda is largely organic and still very low compared to domestic demand with more consumers substituting sugar for honey in their diets due to perceived medicinal value. As a result, supply response in Uganda is not meeting the rapidly expanding domestic and regional demand. Honey is largely traded informally across borders in the East African Community (EAC).

The report notes that the honey value chain is still relatively unstructured with the majority of players being micro and small players at production and trade levels. However, the value chain is relatively integrated, with a number of producers engaged as own processors, supplying to retailers and the final consumers.

The markets for other bee-products are still underdeveloped and this provides potential for expanding end-markets for the honey sub-sector. Most of these products which include: propolis, venom, wax are underexploited, in spite of available end-markets and proven technologies to utilize them.