Natba Bee Enterprise
Description
Natba Bee trains smallholder farmers to adopt sustainable farming practices and integrate beekeeping into their crop farming to increase pollination services and double-crop productivity. The company supplies beekeeping equipment such as beehives and bee suits to the farmers to keep bees on their farms. It also produces high-quality bee products such as honey, beeswax, and propolis. The company also uses bee products to make natural cosmetics, such as soaps and creams to sell.
Market Opportunity/ Problem
Over 4 million smallholder farmers in Ghana produce >80% of the total agricultural production. These farmers are mostly impoverished as a result of low crop productivity. The youth are therefore not attracted to agriculture and are unemployed. The Standard of living is thereby very low, and farmers live in extreme poverty. Women and youth are the most vulnerable. The farmers are ignorant of the role of pollinators in crop farming and the increase in pollination services leading to higher crop productivity. Over 4 million smallholder farmers in Ghana need Natba Bee’s sustainable farming practices and beekeeping training. The global honey market is around $7 billion. There are about 6 million households in Ghana; each family consumes about $5 of honey per annum, creating a market of $3 million per annum in Ghana. Each home also consumes $10 of natural cosmetics creating a local market of $66 million.
Company Information
Years of operation
9
Type of organization
Cooperative
Stage of the business
Growth stage
Agribusiness focus
Primary production
Agriculture value chain(s) focus?
Food crops
Primary country of operation
Ghana
Other country(ies) of operation
N/A
How many employees does your business have?
120
Does the business have more than 30% women ownership?
Yes
Does the business have more than 30% youth ownership (under 35 years)?
Yes
Financing and expansion overview
How much capital is the company currently fundraising (US$)?
$250k – $500k
What is the split between equity and debt?
100% debt