The Somali apiculture industry is still very much in its infancy, yet the potential to reap real rewards, is apparent. Today, though there is not much documented evidence on the current practice of beekeeping in Somalia, institutional memory points to the fact that the industry was making reasonable strides, and prospective for growth was high in the early 1980s. At that time, beekeeping was a private enterprise. Even though commercial beekeeping was not practiced at this time, annual production of honey was estimated to be around 225,000 liters, or an approximate annual value of 13 million Somali Shillings The majority of beekeepers (approximately 3,000) were located along the Juba and Shebelle rivers, where there was an estimated 71,000 log hives. Conditions were most conducive for beekeeping in this area.
