News

AUSTRALIA

With the advent of the Asian honeybee Apis cerana on the northern most islands in Torres Strait, the Australian Honeybee Research and Development Council has been asked to fund project to isolate the Nasanov pheromone from Apis cerana. If this is possible, then the Australian Quarantine and Inspections Service could use it in their monitoring programme in an attempt to minimise the southern movement of Apis cerana.

Honeybee Research and Development Council Update

BENIN

Following the recommendation of the Beekeepers’ Association of West Africa that each member country should form, revive or consolidate their national beekeeping association, the Benin National Beekeepers’ Association is born. The first Beekeeping Training Seminar has been held in Bohicon, in the central region of Benin. Traditional and modern beekeepers, technical officers from different extension services, university teachers and business persons were invited by the Minister for Rural Development to participate in the Seminar on beekeeping development.

Displays prepared by Mr Soude Flavien, a private beekeeper, and Mr Kokoye Jean from the beekeeping project of Atacora (partly financed by GTZ) gave a beautiful insight for the audience, as well as being educational.

Everyone participated in study tour to a private apiary at Tobé in the Banté District, 200 km from Cotonou. Fruitful discussions and exchange of ideas and experience enhanced the quality of the Seminar. In the same way the field trip benefited the participants and encouraged them to promote the beekeeping industry.

At the end of the Seminar, the beekeepers elected the Executive Committee of the Benin National Beekeepers’ Association which will be non-government body, as soon as its constitution is registered in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Soude C Flavien

GHANA

A two-day Workshop for farmers was organised at Goamoa Mampong in April 1994. The participants came from World Vision International sponsored beekeeping projects in eight farming communities in the Central Region. Each project was represented by three members who would act as facilitators of the knowledge acquired at the Workshop.

Mr Kwame Aidoo of the Beekeeping Development Unit, Saltpond, explained to participants some of his findings on top-bar hive design, and hives built with cheap and locally available materials were exhibited. Mr John Yeboah, a World Vision Agricultural Extension Officer, emphasised the need for groups to manage their colonies in apiaries of several hives rather than the existing practice where hives are scattered over a wide area.

The World Vision Beekeeping Project started two years ago with eight farming communities. Group members were given basic training in beekeeping and then equipped with minimum of six hives and equipment. Members of each group are entitled to two-thirds of the harvest and one third is used to support other development activities within the community. All input for the project is provided by World Vision International as assistance to the communities. It was reported that effective monitoring and supervision have led to a successful take-off of this project.

Kwame Aidoo Beekeeping Development's Ghana Correspondent

GRENADA

Varroa has arrived in Grenada. Two months ago I found varroa'mites infesting colonies in the biggest Grenadian apiary. This explains the dramatic decrease in honey yields we experienced in 1993 and so far in 1994. This decrease could possibly be the result of viruses of which varroa acts as a vector. No great colony mortality has been reported yet, but some of us are expecting a change in this respect also. it really feels like “paradise lost” will keep you posted.

Jorge Murillo Yepes Beekeeping & Development's Caribbean Correspondent

NAMIBIA

WATCH OUT! Reading this journal can change your life!

Reading through Beekeeping Development last December, Derek Sherratt saw the advert for a beekeeper in Namibia. He successfully applied for the post and, after intensive training at Bees for Development, has recently started working there with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas).

Derek will be working within the Namibian Directorate of Forestry. Beekeeping will provide people in rural areas with new ways to earn money. Derek’s work will include rural appraisals and the establishment of demonstration apiaries.

Like all regular VSO postings, this is twoyear post. Accommodation and an allowance are based on the local wage.

Good luck in your new job Derek!

Anyone interested in finding out more about VSO should contact: Enquiries, VSO, London, United Kingdom

NEPAL

Beekeeping development in Nepal seems to be moving quickly, due to projects and the enthusiasm of individual beekeepers. Apis mellifera (the honeybee introduced from Europe] is being used to an increasing extent by beekeepers with access to the necessary technical and financial resources.

The beekeeping project named BETRESP {Beekeeping Training and Extension Support Project) is now in its seventh year, having been underway since 1987. The project is joint activity between His Majesty's Government of Nepal and The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV). After August 1994 SNV assistance will be phased out. A strategy workshop was held at the start of this final year to clearly focus the project's activities.

BETRESP

NIGERIA

The Beekeepers’ Association of Nigeria was founded on 11 May 1993 in Ibadan. The Association has model apiaries in Agodi Gardens in Ibadan and at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomoso. These are open to the public and are used for training. It is hoped to establish apiaries in other parts of the country. The University will house the headquarters of the Association where there is a library and office. The Association will provide training. Information on bees, beekeeping and the environment will be disseminated through quarterly journal.

Dr M O Akanbi, Beekeepers’ Association of Nigeria

RWANDA AND ZAIRE

Action pour le developpement social economique et culturel au sud-KIVU is a non-profit making organisation trying to organise development activities in Rwanda and Zaire. The goal is to better the conditions of misery of the people, and help the poorest to find ways of survival.

Nalunva Kajabika.

TANZANIA

The 1993 harvest has been poor because of drought. The lack of nectar for the bees means that only 71 tonnes of honey have been collected compared to our target of 364 tonnes. However reports from our Members indicate that we can expect to have better harvest in 1994.

Justin Madaha, Tabora Beekeepers’ Co-operative

URUGUAY

The Sociedad Apicola Uruguaya was formed in 1934 with basic objective of teaching and increasing the knowledge of apiculture to increase honey production, popularising the benefits of honey consumption at a national level and increasing exports of all hive products on to the international market.

The Association now runs courses for beekeepers and extensionists on wax, pollination and bee pathology. Members meet one Thursday of every month to analyse different beekeeping subjects and compare notes on individual experiences. On Fridays the Association organises a laboratory course to study honey and wax.

The Society wants to develop national apiary to attain standards of quality for exportation. To do this we need laboratory facilities and to achieve this we ask for your collaboration.

Sociedad Apicola Uruguaya

Nectar and pollen plants of China

by Xu Wanlin

(reviewed in Beekeeping Development 29).

Since announcing the reduction In price of this book from £42.00 to £13.00) we have been inundated with orders. We have ordered more stocks from China, and apologise to all those customers who have had to wait for their copy.

Second Asian Cultural Association Conference

As we go to press the Second AAA Conference will be taking place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. News and pictures of the Conference will be in the next edition of Beekeeping & Development.