Description

The village of Shalala is located at an altitude of 2,277 meters above sea level in the heart of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region. Beekeeping has ancient roots here, and is widely practiced among the Hadiya, the local ethnic group. In December 2008, 22 beekeepers formed the Shalala Beekeepers’ Association. Their honey is reddish-yellow, thick and very sweet, and comes from a range of local flowers and trees including sunflowers, legumes like Vicia sinensis, senafitch (Brassica nigra), and common fruit trees like papaya and mango. The honey is harvested in June and November, and the honeycombs are kept in woven bamboo covered with leaves. The Shalala community also produces beeswax and propolis.