BEEKEEPING AND DEVELOPMENT
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
NO DISEASES
CHEAPER HIVES
would like to let all our friends in the beekeeping world in on the current best kept secret - our Island of Vieques in Puerto Rico has been successfully quarantined to protect our honey bees. The Secretary of Agriculture of Puerto Rico in a timely and far-sighted attempt to “prevent the introduction into the Island of Vieques of diseases and dangerous pests of honey bees (Apis mellifera)” signed into Law the Domestic Quarantine Act 5 in February 1988. Hurricane Hugo hit our Island with ravaging winds on 18 September 1989 and many colonies were lost; however, due to very hard work, their numbers have increased. Healthy queen bees, devoid of any chemical treatment, will be available in the market very soon. Due to our climate, our bees work year-round. Why do you not rest for while? Come and visit the most beautiful Island in the Caribbean! See for yourselves our mite and disease-free bees. Manuela Santiago Collazo, Mayor of Vieques,
write to say that Beekeeping and Development is a very good paper to me. Why? Because edition 20 (September 1991) has helped me greatly in that the cover picture and its accompanying article on Guinea-Bissau gave me an insight to the use of local materials. Before reading the article had been making hives with hard wood like “odum”" and “emire” at the cost of some 7000 Cedis (9) per hive. Now make a hive using hardwood for the ends and rafia branches for the sides and base. The top-bars are also made of hard wood. This has reduced the cost by 75% and it is very light and portable. am teaching beekeeping in 10 junior secondary schools. Last year only four of them could afford hives of the hard wood type. Since introduced the cheaper, improvised hives, the hive population in each of the 10 schools is now more than five per school.
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give Beekeeping and Development a gold plus four stars. 1
O K Anno, Secretary, Begoro Beekeepers’ Society, Ghana
BANKERS NOT INTERESTED Issue No 20 of Beekeeping and Development (September 1991) made me wonder why beekeepers are underrated by the financial sector compared with other crop producers. that beekeepers in GuineaReading an article written by Angelo Isola was so amazed to learn Tabora Co-operative Society our as Beekeepers’ same beekeepers. Bissau are treated in the way has been working under the same problems for many years. The bankers are not interested in the development of the beekeeping industry. Why is this? Is there no-one interested in honey production for our current generation? We are lucky only in that we still get honey from some of our faithful members. However do feel that the situation must change in the near future so that the beekeepers are paid promptly these hardworking citizens is upon delivery of their honey and beeswax. To continue punishing like saying honey is not delicious! Justin Madaha, Manager, Tabora Beekeepers’ Co-operative Society, Tanzania. |
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“O”
level puptls
study apiculture as part of their
Mandiznidza
agricultural training
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The First Conference of the Asian
ANTENNAE WAVING H H Mandiznidza is a high school teacher in Zimbabwe who is endeavouring to encourage beekeeping amongst the pupils in his school. He would like to make contact with other schools where beekeeping projects are in operation. Contact Mr Mandiznidza at 4 Hawick Road, PO Pomona, Borrowdale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
TEN
Apicultural Association is taking place as part of the International Symposium on the Asian Honey Bees and Bee Mites, being held in Thailand 10-14 February 1992. News from the Meeting will be given in the next edition of Beekeeping and Development.
