News around the World.

INDIA

Congratulations to Professor L R Verma on this prestigious award in recognition of his work and dedication to the cause of apiculture in Meghalaya, India

RWANDA

Ubwiza bwa Nyungwe Beekeepers Union is working with 13 co-operatives around Nyungwe National Park. The Union’s purpose is to collect, package and market honey from the Members, and to prevent bush fires in and around the Park.

Purpose

• Co-ordinate and provide training to members of co-operatives at an affordable cost

• Assist beekeepers in obtaining equipment at a good price

• Buy honey from co-operatives and sell on their behalf

• Help establish new co-operatives

• Manage the Kitabi honey collection and processing facility

• Act as a link for beekeepers in Nyungwe National Park and the outside market

• Ensure proper management and explore ways to ensure financial sustainability for the Union.

*The original article has a table showing the age of union members which is not available on this mobile friendly version.

Achievements

• Ubwiza bwa Nyungwe Honey Processing and Sales Centre is now in operation and a clerk, watchman and three labourers employed;

• The Union is the main buyer of honey harvested by member co-operatives with honey production at 9.6 tonnes returning RWF18,597,637 (US$26,935; €21,772) back to the community since 2013;

• The Union has sold RWF11,281,100 (US$16,339; €13,208) of honey and RWF791,800 (US$1,147; €927) of beeswax candles;

• Forty-four bee farmers received training on honey quality control and 56 on using top-bar hives, with the introduction of 100 top-bar hives across the Park;

• Information provided by beekeepers has led to the apprehension of seven illegal honey collectors, who under supervision have formed Rwabidege Ex-Poacher Beekeepers Co-operative and been allocated 42 top-bar hives;

• Capacity building for eight community members in governance, management, leadership and business understanding;

• The Union is registered at national level. Ubwiza bwa Nyungwe bee products are certified by the Rwanda Bureau of Standards and 90% of the honey meets the Bureau’s quality requirements;

• Marketing of bee products has 19 sales points (customers);

• The number of bush fires in the Park has been reduced.

Challenges

• Geographic location of the co-operatives around the forest perimeter;

• Climate change;

• Illegal honey collectors;

• Ageing beekeeping population;

• The co-operatives have pledged to sell 9 tonnes of honey to the Union in 2014. It must be ensured this reaches market;

• The Union is not yet able to cover some costs such as large items of equipment and depreciation on buildings;

• Wild animals destroy hives searching for honey;

• The honey storage room is too small.

Next steps

• Explore further markets for bee products and participate in trade fairs;

• Consolidate good book-keeping, and accounting practices;

• Annual visits by two committee members to each co-operative.

The team from Rwanda on their stand at the 4th ApiTradeAfrica Event held in October (see pages 10 and 11). Rwanda won the bid host the next Event in 2016

VIETNAM

We are researchers and extension workers in apiculture in Vietnam. We worked for many years for the Bee Research and Development Center (BRDC). BRDC became a branch of the National Apicultural Joint Stock Company (VINAPI), and we were finding funds for our work difficult. We stopped working for BRDC and now work for the new governmental unit the Bee Research Center (BRC), of the National Institute of Animal Sciences of Vietnam.

BRC was established on 3 March 2014 by the Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development. Major tasks include research and beekeeping extension projects. Working for BRC, we have better possibilities to receive research funding from our government, build networking on bees, and conduct research and development projects.

In the course of working at BRDC, we conducted and participated in numerous R&D projects. Recently we collaborated with researchers from University of Guelph, Canada; University of Michigan, USA and University of Uppsala, Sweden. We have been successful in building up household beekeeping models by the application of participatory extension methods.

Thuy Phuong, Bee Research Center, Hanoi

Award for Dr Gard Otis

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development has awarded a Commemorative Medal For Agriculture and Rural Development to Professor, Doctor Gard W. Otis, Lecturer of University of Guelph, Canada – for his work on the Project Beekeeping Development and Rural Extension in Vietnam.

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