News around the World

BURMA

Members of the Burma Apiculture Association are worried because Chinese honey is being imported. The cheaper product is a threat to income for local beekeepers.

“Our honey has an excellent international reputation because of its quality and purity,” said U Win Sein, Vice-Chair of the Livestock Federation. Since 2005 honey has been exported from Burma. Over 2,132 tonnes were exported in 2011-12, earning US$2.13 (€1.66) million.

U Pyae Phyo Aung, Chairman of the Apiculture Association, said the industry needed government protection: “We want to protect our market here in the face of business people who are trying to make easy profits. Beekeeping is already a challenging business and many in the industry make small profits. Beekeeping is commercially practised countrywide with major producers in Magwe, Mandalay and Sagaing regions. In 2010-11 365 beekeepers with 60,000 colonies were Association members”.

Myat Nyein Aye, www.mmtimes.com

INDIA

On behalf of the Rural Institute of Apiculture I would like to offer our sincere thanks for the resource materials you have supplied. We are working with a Tribal community to promote Non-Timber Forest Based Industries for Livelihoods Support under the North East Development Society. Beekeeping is one of the major areas where we are taking initiative. We have a Honey Producers Association in Assam, Meghalaya, and Mizoram States. In each Association there are individuals and a self-help group, together totalling 37 beekeepers.

Lutfor Abraham, Director - RIA BRIGLE, Guwahati City, Assam State

Kerala State in South India is one of the best places to harvest large quantities of honey from rubber cultivation and there is also a large forest area. I am a professional beekeeper and trainer. However, only 3% of the potential honey harvest is collected - the rest is lost because of lack of bees and beekeeping: this means the Spices Board is facing a crucial issue in Kerala State because the flowers are not pollinated. Therefore India must create a massive programme to develop beekeeping for this purpose.

Bejoy Alex, Greenland Honey Beekeeping Centre, Pathanamthitta

KENYA

I wish to thank you for the Resource Box that I recently received. I have read many editions of BfDJ and have more insight on best practices. I have keenly followed the discussions on frame hives, especially after failing miserably with their management and I have now considered top-bar hives. My main challenge was accessing initial support from the vendors of the hives. I have also faced challenges from honey badgers and human pests who vandalised my hives and stole the honey. I am reviving my project with reference to all the literature I have received. Long live BfD!

Kariuki Waweru, Nairobi

See page 19 for more information on Resource Boxes

MADAGASCAR

Mr Rado Ratakamamola lives in Savamba in north-eastern Madagascar and works on a coconut plantation that has 40 honey bee colonies for pollination and honey production. He manages his own four colonies and claims to make a good income. He collects wild swarms or colonies from nearby forests and keeps them in home-made bags hanging on a tree near his house until the colony is settled. The bees are then transferred to a frame hive. The bees are not defensive and Mr Rado Ratakamamola does not use protective clothing.

Collected swarms are housed in homemade bags until colonies are settled

Mr Rado Ratakamamola also brings brood and honey combs home. The brood comb is first put in the hive and then the swarm. The brood comb will prevent the swarm from absconding. His hives are sited near to his home.

Brood comb is collected from the same nest as the swarm

The bees are very gentle and easy to handle

The bees are very gentle and easy to handle. The Madagascar honey bee Apis mellifera unicolor is endemic to the Island. It is black, small and docile, and can be kept close to houses. Due to Madagascar’s geographical isolation the bees are spared from many bee diseases and parasites. Ants and termites are not really a problem for beekeepers and it seems that Varroa and foulbrood diseases do not occur.

Reinhard Fichtl, Zurich, Switzerland

NIGERIA

Floods

I wish to inform you that flooding and the submerging of vast farmlands in the riverine areas of Adamawa, Anambra, Benue, Crossriver, Enugu, Kogi and Taraba States mean that honey bees have been cut off from their valuable food sources. Consequently, many bees will die of hunger and honey production in the affected areas will be almost zero. The price of honey will skyrocket. All the areas affected by flooding are the major honey producing areas in Nigeria.

Mike Ukattah, Umuahia, Abia State

NIGERIA

Catch Them Young

In July 2012 I held a training programme to introduce beekeeping to young children Luke Omigade, Imeko,Ogun State

PHOTO © LUKE OMIGADE

TANZANIA

At the recent Honey Show in Dar es Salaam an exhibitor gives advice on local style box hives. On the table is a hive made from a sisal stump.

PHOTO © MATTHEW KAWA

Matthew Kawa, Dar es Salaam

UGANDA

During my work as founder member and Chairperson of Kitgum Women’s Beekeepers Association from 1995-2010, membership grew from nine pioneers to 386 to date, comprising 33 groups. I am now with Jjllima Holding Co Ltd as Managing Director. We currently employ six people and hope to market honey for over 100 honey producers in Kitgum.

Margaret Ogaba, Kitgum

Margaret Ogaba displays the runner up certificate awarded to Jjllima Holdings in the Processors Category at the recent ApiExpo Africa in Ethiopia (see page 6). Kitgum Women’s Beekeepers Association came first and ARYODI Bee Farm from Lima, Uganda were awarded second place in the Producer Associations category.

PHOTO © MARGARET OGABA

ZIMBABWE

I would like to say thank you to BfD for sending me BfD Journal: I find it educational and the content helpful. I have been at college for the past two years and successfully completed a Diploma in Agriculture with a first class distinction. At the graduation ceremony, I was awarded a prize for the best student in apiculture. I am looking forward to obtaining more information and assistance to develop my experience in beekeeping.

Mamvura Shorai, Marondera

International month of bees and beekeepers

During the 3rd International Meeting of Young Beekeepers held in July in Prague, Czech Republic, the Czech Union of Beekeepers proposed that legislators should declare May the “International Month of Beekeeping” with 20 May the International Day of Bees and Beekeepers to commemorate the significance of bees and beekeeping for nature and human societies.

It was recommended that beekeeping organisations who work with young beekeepers should address the appropriate authorities in their countries to accept this proposal.

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