Japanese technique in Mongolia

Hitomi Enomoto, ApiScience Information Services APISIS, 5-6-3 Tamagawa Gakuen, Machida, Tokyo 194-0041, Japan

Keywords: Beekeepers’ Association of Mongolia, GEF SGP, honey production, JAICAF, Tree of Life Inc, UNDP, World Vision

Participants of the Seminar to raise awareness of environment conservation and biodiversity essential for high-quality honey and other bee product production

PHOTOS © HIDEHIRO HOSHIBA

During summer 2013, experts from Japan made a series of visits to Mongolia to promote the production of high quality bee products, and to increase awareness by Mongolian beekeepers of their environment and their need for biodiversity.

Beekeeping started 50 years ago in Mongolia. During the former socialist period, several state bee farms were found in the forest steppe zone of Mongolia, particularly in the region of Darkhan-Selenge. In the 1990s, as Mongolia failed its transition into a market economy, only a few individual families who had worked for the state farms were left to continue with beekeeping.

Beekeeping development projects started in the late 2000s. Supported by World Vision and the Global Environment Facility’s Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) and UNDP, the Beekeepers’ Association of Mongolia conducted basic training during 2005 to 2012. In 2009, 40 families were keeping 200 colonies. Today there are 100 beekeeping families managing 3,000 colonies, and harvesting 30 tonnes of honey per year. They face many obstacles including financial constraints, and difficulties related to worsening natural conditions.

Apiary visits to Shaamar Sum and Darhhan-Selenge Region

Extracting honey

Japan’s Association for International Collaboration of Agriculture and Forestry (JAICAF) sent an expert team to collaborate with the Beekeepers Association of Mongolia and to support improved productivity and better income generation for the beekeeping sector.

The Japanese experts and Professor Togtokhbayar Norovsambuu from the Mongolian State University of Agriculture worked mainly in Shaamar Sum (county), and Selenge Province, where the Association has 51 family members with 2,000 colonies. About 100 beekeepers attended their seminar from all over Darkhan- Selenge and other regions. Professor Jun Nakamura from the Honeybee Science Research Center at Tamagawa University talked about beekeepers’ awareness for the conservation of their environment and biodiversity, which are essential for highquality production of honey and other bee products. Dr Hidehiro Hoshiba, former professor of Tamagawa University, focused on practical techniques of colony management, honey harvesting and processing, as well as on the quality management of honey to meet international standards. Mr Ryoichi Udagawa, Business Executive of Tree of Life Inc, signposted strategies for Mongolian bee products to access the international market. Course participants enjoyed his demonstration of beeswax candle making.

Dr Hoshiba also visited apiaries in Shaamar Sum and Darkhan- Selenge Region with Professor Togtokhbayar, to inspect hives and talk with the beekeepers. They were much interested to hear his advice on frame layout aiming at higher bee density and higher honey productivity.

One month later, Mr L Oyunbaatar, Chief of the Beekeepers’ Union reported to JAICAF that each group had started to trial the new way with a few hives. Finding good results, every union member had adopted the frame layout, and had gained more oviposition and higher honey production. He said: “Every colony shows an improved condition. I have not received any bad reports. We call it the Japanese Technique, and are teaching it to our neighbouring beekeepers”.

The development of the beekeeping sector could give a boost for implementation of the new government’s environment protection policies. JAICAF will publish a guide for Mongolian beekeepers written by Dr Hoshiba with Professor Togtokhbayar.

Plenty of forage for honey bees in Mongolia