Bulaale Beekeeping

Bulaale Beekeeping (“Bulaale”) is a large honey production company situated in the Gabilay region of Somaliland - an ideal environment for beekeeping with an abundance of forage. Bulaale is also located close to its main market, Hargeisa, and within proximity to the Ethiopian border, another large target market. The owner of Bulaale is an experienced businessman, with over 15 years of experience in the honey sector. In addition to apiculture, he runs his own farm and livestock business, and utilizes bees to increase crop yields through enhanced plant pollination. Bulaale has remained competitive by selling honey for a lower price than its peers and training workers in sanitary honey extraction. Bulaale needed capital investment to increase its honey production capacity and diversify its product mix by producing pure honey in addition to wax, which is used in shampoos, creams, and shoe polish.

With the investment received in 2013, Bulaale expanded its honey production capacity and created several new jobs. To supplement its honey production business, Bulaale has planted 10,000 flowers for the bees to pollinate and feed on, hired new staff to tend to the flowers, and installed a drip irrigation to water the flowers. Bulaale has expanded its business by exporting its honey to Djibouti and Kenya.

In 2017, Bulaale received follow-on funding to purchase equipment to expand its current beekeeping capacity.  In doing so, the company is able to improve its bee environments and increase its overall honey production.