News around the World

FIJU

Fiji Beekeepers Association continues to face challenges including honey shortages and disease-related threats. In Fiji Crop and Livestock Council Newsletter, Association President John Lewis said: ”Last year’s production was affected by the weather with yields lower than expected and these pushed farm-gate prices up to the highest so far. It is consumers who are punished because low yields result in lack of honey on shop shelves, with stiff competition continuing from sugar and jam products. There are disease-related threats facing the industry with American Foulbrood having a major impact on some of the Ba beekeepers in 2013. Early detection and prompt response to the danger is key to addressing the issues. Varroa is present in Tonga and Vanuatu. If the mite is found in Fiji, hive management techniques will become more expensive and complex. A Varroa response plan has been drafted”.

Source: Fiji Times Online

NIGERIA

PHOTO © AKANDE AYOADE

Jorafarm & Associates would like to thank BfD Trust for their usual support and assistance rendered to our organisation and beneficiaries. The community of Owode Ede, Osun State send their greetings for providing journals and for impacting us with knowledge to be shared. This photograph was taken during recent training.

Akande Ayoade, Osun State

I organise 43 local associations and we have now formed the Beekeepers Association of Sokoto State.

PHOTO © YAU S BAKI

Yau S Baki, State Secretary, Sokoto

SLOVENIA

European Honey Breakfast

Honey for breakfast

PHOTO © FRANC ŠIVIC

Every year on the third Friday of November Slovenian beekeepers organise an educational and promotional campaign for preschool and school children – The Honey Breakfast. The campaign has been carried out by regional associations and the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association (SBA) since 2007. Preschool and school children are treated to a breakfast of Slovenian honey donated by beekeepers. Each year an educational publication on the topic of beekeeping is issued to the children. The Honey Breakfast is attended also by mayors, state officials, athletes and heads of other nursery and primary schools. Presentations and workshops on beekeeping are given. The Honey Breakfast is supported by national and regional TV networks, radio stations and newspapers that report on this event to help raise public awareness of the importance of beekeeping.

Why did beekeepers unite to organise this campaign? We are aware that most habits are formed in childhood and it is therefore necessary to begin teaching children about the importance of caring for the environment and nature as early as possible. The results of the campaign indicate that we have been successful: since children, teachers and the public have shown a positive attitude to bees and nature, the number of children participating in beekeeping clubs at schools is growing, and the sales and consumption of honey and other bee products have increased.

The SBA presented the idea to the Slovenian Minister of Agriculture & Environment and to representatives of Apimondia. The next step was to inform all European Ministers of Agriculture at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels in March, and so far the European Honey Breakfast Initiative has been backed by every Minister to whom it has been presented.

It is now the turn of European Beekeeping Organisations to respond and take action. The SBA has invited representatives to attend the 3rd International Beekeeping Conference in November. During the two-day Conference we will discuss the activities of beekeeping organisations in relation to the young. We know that the best way to transfer knowledge and good practices to others is by providing them with first-hand experience. Those who attend the Conference will have the opportunity to take part in a Slovenian honey breakfast so that they can share their experience and implement similar practices in their own country.

For the European Honey Breakfast to be successfully realised, all the above-mentioned parties will have to work together. We want the European Honey Breakfast to be supported by all beekeeping associations and we hope to see the First Pan-European Honey Breakfast take place on Friday 21 November 2015. Together we will raise people’s awareness of the importance of the conservation of nature and bees to secure good sources of food and ensure a better, healthier life for everyone.

Lidija Senič, Head: Public Extension Service on Beekeeping, Slovenia

THE GAMBIA

I am working with The Gambian Ministry of Parks & Wildlife to establish a burn free National Bee Reserve in my area and a large tree nursery at the local forest station. If all goes well it will be the first bee reserve in all of West Africa, hopefully just like they have in Tanzania. The Resource Box received from BfD Trust will help with great sustainable ideas.

Derek Marin, US Peace Corps

ROYALTY HIVE

As a keen beekeeper he expects the highest standards for bees. Therefore hives from Prince Charles (first in line to the UK throne) are handcrafted from Forest Stewardship Council cedar and larch at a price of £1,250 (US$ 2,130; € 1,565).

All profits go to the Prince’s charities. Each is bespoke and takes 8-12 weeks to produce. The website says “the hives allow the bees to live in a sustainable low-impactenvironment similar to their natural environment”.

For sale at www.highgroveshop.com

DAY OF THE HONEY BEE

Saskatchewan Province in Canada held the 5th Annual Day of the Honey Bee on 29 May. Saskatchewan has a well-established honey bee industry, with the highest per colony honey production in Canada: 100,000 colonies with an average production of 84 kg honey per year. In 2013 its beekeepers harvested 8,570 tonnes of honey worth US$40 (€29) million.

The provincial and federal governments have announced over US$1.0 (€0.7) million funding for three bee-related research projects through the Ministry of Agriculture’s Development Fund, two projects focused specifically on honey bees. The Ministry also collaborated with industry and producers to create DriftWatch Saskatchewan an online tool that assists in identifying drift sensitive agricultural areas such as hives, orchards and organic farms. This voluntary risk mitigation tool enables crop producers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators to work together to manage the potential effects of spraying operations.

Angela Hall, Agriculture Regina