News

ARGENTINA

New honey traceability system

From 1 December 2018 every batch of honey that is harvested to be marketed in or from Argentina, must be registered in the Beekeeping Traceability System implemented by Senasa.

The measure is in compliance with resolution E5-2018 and is part of a systematisation that has been going on for several years. Each beekeeper needs a “tax code” to access their registration as a producer from the platform offered by the Federal Administration of Taxes (AFIP).

All extraction rooms authorised or temporarily authorised by Senasa must register online every batch of extracted honey. This honey is packed in drums with a unique and inviolable label and will be tracked in the system through an 11 digit code on the label. Therefore, the label registers in the Senasa system all the steps followed by the honey, from the apiary where it was harvested, to which commercial operators intervened, until its export or final destination.

More information at alimentosargentinos.gob.ar/ HomeAlimentos/Apicultura/ trazabilidad.php

Photo © Chia Bernard Ful

The picture above shows training for beekeepers in Njinikom with a volunteer adviser from SES Bonn Germany. He was invited by Boyo Association for Rural Development (BARUDEV), a local NGO that protects and conserves biodiversity through beekeeping, therefore ensuring climate justice for the care of creation and fighting against climate change. Volunteers can share their experience with us. We also network with universities and other NGOs. We carry out also sustainable agriculture using organic farming and seed multiplication and distribution to ensure food sovereignty

Please contact us via Bees for Development

Chia Bernard Ful, Director, BARUDEV, Boyo District

KENYA

Thank you so much for this great work. Ever since I started receiving BfD Journal, I have shared it with many others.

I started keeping bees but in 2016 people (out of jealousy) destroyed our farm house and we lost everything: the bees, hives and land. A kind neighbour gave us a place to reside.

Early this year some bees came looking for water in our living room.

I kept on giving them water (we are on a hot humid rocky mountain side), eventually “they sent us away from the room”.

Photos © Tom Ochuka

We migrated to the next room outside and then I brought a box

This is their new residence

They are comfortable in their new home

I am beginning afresh. My big task is now to plant more trees, so far about 300 have been established. There is serious decline of forest in Kenya, resulting in poor rainfall patterns. We need to rethink therefore I am already contributing to the forest and will have more trees soon so that the bees will have flowers.

I am concerned with the conservation of indigenous tree species that give good quality yields of honey. When given good forest, bees pollinate and contribute to forest conservation and development, because people will fear going to destroy the trees because they are wary of the bees.

Bees are a real contributor to the ecosystem, I am not only keeping them for honey but more for restoration of the Earth. To me Development is being able to preserve what God has given us by caring and improving without destroying.

This can only happen with an adequate supply of clean air and water. I need water tanks to keep water to plant trees and fruits so that the bees will get flowers easily.

Please send me books on bees and other forest resources and links on support to improve my bee farming. I have only one hive, if I can increase to ten, I am sure to support my family, and the needy in the church because as a Pastor I help to pay fees for orphans.

Rev Tom Ochuka, Angorogardens, Kisumu, Kenya

NIGERIA

Calls for Support for Beekeeping Community Development Service

The team of the Youth Corps members under the auspices of the National Youths Service Corps-Community Development Service, AGRO ALLIED GROUP in Ilaro; Ogun State received a day’s training from Bees Extension Education Services (BEES) headed by Asade Elijah. The day was based around materials provided in the sponsored Resource Box received from Bees for Development. Donor agencies who can be of assistance should contact us through Bees for Development.

With thanks

Asade Elijah, Bees Extension Education Services, Ilaro State

Participants from the one training course led by Asade Elijah (centre) of Bees Extension Education Services

Photo © Asade Elijah

UGANDA

The Tropical Beekeeping Institute was established in 1989 by a group of experienced Ugandan beekeepers. The Institute offers “hands on” training (80% practical, 20% theory) for young people and adults interested in skills development for their future. Short courses offered include: apiary management, hive and equipment making, honey harvesting, honey processing, handling and packing systems, and beeswax processing.

In October this year, community members from around Njuguto Swamp enrolled on a three months’ certificated training course in beekeeping and honey production under the Uganda Business Technical, Vocational and Training (BTVET 2018). It is anticipated that the training will lead to beekeeping providing an alternative source of household income, helping to conserve the depleted Swamp environment.

Tropical Beekeeping Institute, Rubirizi, Bunyaruguru.

During training, participants on the 2018 Uganda Business Technical, Vocational and Training Course had lessons in hive making

Photo © Tropical Beekeeping Institute

During training, participants on the 2018 Uganda Business Technical, Vocational and Training Course had lessons in hive making

ZIMBABWE

On behalf of our Association I would like to say thank you for the continued support for our beekeeping projects through the information sharing platform. BfD Journal is so important to our beekeeping development initiatives. We share the Journal with the schools and groups we work with. I also say thank you for supporting our members who benefitted from our recent training course in which we used materials provided in the Resource Box we received. During the training participants attended a honey safety and standard course, bee products were on display, awards were presented, Zimati school initiated a beekeeping programme and the girls from Chistva School Sewing Club enjoyed some honey tasting!

Robert Mtisi, Chairperson, Makoni Beekeepers Association, Manicaland

An example of the top-bar hives we will be producing for use by those venturing into beekeeping

Photo © Robert Mtisi

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Penn State’s Department of Entomology and Center for Pollinator Research (USA) seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar, Research Associate to contribute to a USDA- NIFA-AFRI and Foundation for Food and Agricultural Research funded project to model the effect of land use pattern, environmental conditions, and management practices on honey bee and wild bee health. The selected Associate will work with collaborators who are developing longitudinal data sets of honey bee colony weight, parasite levels, overwintering survival, as well as wild bee abundance and diversity, and will have the opportunity to develop new data sets through field studies and/ or citizen science partnerships. Applicants are required to have a PhD or equivalent doctorate in an appropriate field. It is preferred, but not essential that the candidate have experience with managed and/or wild bee ecology and preference will be given to candidates with a PhD in Entomology, Ecology, or related field.

For more information contact Professor Christina Grozinger, Director of the Center for Pollinator Research: cmg25@psu.edu.

See page 19 for details of how to apply for a sponsored subscription to Bees for Development Journal and page 13 to request a Resource Box.

Visit our Resource Centre for access to many articles and publications on bees, beekeeping and the environment

beesfordevelopment.org/ resource-centre

SUPPORT FOR TRAINING

BfD Training Booklets and Training Cards are for use by beekeeper trainers in Africa.

Each booklet provides one day of training on one topic. The cards provide pictures and plans illustrating techniques discussed in the booklets. These are included in our Resource Boxes for training events and workshops.

Projects and associations in developing countries are welcome to apply for a Sponsored Resource Box by filling out an application form on our website, or request the form by email.

Projects in other areas can purchase Resource Boxes through our website store.

www.beesfordevelopment.org