Zooming in on China

Size

China spans northern temperate, subtropical and tropical zones. It is a huge country extending from high plateaux in the West to vast plains in the East. Mountains occupy one third of the land.

Population

1,057,210,000: quarter of the world’s population. 80% live on small holdings farming less than 0.5 hectares.

Main crops

Only one tenth of China is suitable for agriculture. Main crops are rice and cereals.

Honeybees

Apis cerana is native and present throughout China.

Apis mellifera ligustica was introduced in 1893. Apis andreniformis, Apis dorsata, Apis florea, Apis laboriosa and Apis mellifera ligustica are present in south-west frontier areas.

Beekeeping

Apiaries are generally run by families, with typically 50-80 colonies. There are some large- scale beekeeping operations with thousands of colonies.

There is much migratory beekeeping ie the moving of colonies by truck or train to different plants as they come into flower. It is also necessary to move bees frequently to protect them from pesticides, which are used extensively. In the winter and spring there is mass production of Apis mellifera colonies in the tropical and subtropical zones: many of these are then used elsewhere in China.

Apis cerana are preferred to the introduced Apis mellifera in the subtropical areas: it is found that native Apis cerana are better suited to predators and the prevailing weather conditions.

Number of frame hives

6.8 million colonies of Apis mellifera in frame hives. 2.5 million colonies of Apis cerana in frame hives. Although the majority of Apis cerana colonies are housed in frame hives some are still kept in round, wooden buckets.

Melliferous vegetation

China is such huge a country that there is a great range of plants for bees to live on. However the plants most important for large honey crops include: acacia, buckwheat, chaste tree, Chinese tallow tree, citrus, clover, cotton, eucalyptus, jujube, linden, lychee, melilot, milk vetch, oil seed and sunflower.

Total annual honey production:

204,000 tonnes of which about 70,000 tonnes (34%) is exported.

Annual honey production per colony

Apis cerana in frame hives: 15-20 kg.

Apis cerana in wooden buckets: 5kg.

Apis mellifera in frame hives: 25-40 kg (3-4 extractions).

A large packing plant in Shanghai processes about one fifth of the whole honey harvest of China, Although China is producing considerable amounts of honey, for most Chinese people it is still a luxury, expensive item which is not widely available. It is generally taken for medicinal purposes.

Other products

Royal jelly: 800 tonnes per year (80% of world production).

Pollen: 1000 tonnes per year.

Beeswax and propolis are also harvested on a large scale.

China produces great number of foods, medicines and ointments containing honey or other hive products.

AAA Chapter

Professor Yang, Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Hangzhou

Beekeeping Associations

The Chinese Beekeepers’ Association, The Apicultural Association of China, Chinese Bee Products Society, Chinese Bee (Apis cerana) Co-ordination Committee, and Regional Beekeepers Associations

Beekeeping Centres

Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing.

This Institute has five departments and employs over 120 staff. There are regional beekeeping institutes and government beekeeping departments in most provinces.

Training

Four year courses in apiculture are run by the Fujian Agricultural University. Many other universities and secondary diploma schools offer courses in apiculture.

Journal

Chinese Apiculture, published by the Institute of Apicultural Research.

Many beekeepers will be zooming in on China for the 33rd Apimondia International Apicultural Congress in September. For six days there will be discussions and presentations of information on all aspects of bees and beekeeping. There will also be technical visits to apiaries, institutes and honey packing plants. See Look Ahead for further details.

As the world’s major honey exporting country, China has much to interest beekeepers.

“Honey tastes sweet and without toxicity. It is good for the human body. It can relieve pain and quench thirst, and prolong life for long time’.

Shenong Classics, 2 BC (an ancient pharmacopeia of Chinese medicinal herbs).