Size Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America, with a total area of 270,670km?. Despite its small area, it possesses a great variety of micro-habitats and of ) high diversity animals and plants.
Population
and some agro-industrial products like banana, cacao, coffee and timber trees are also
important export crops.
Beekeeping situation National beekeeping activity is marginal, compared to agricultural activities. There are only a few people with a knowledge of beekeeping traditions, reflected in the low production of honey.
~
The population of Ecuador iS approximately eleven million people, increasing annually at a rate of 2.19%. The ~ rural population is about 40%. Average demographic density is 43 inhabitants per km? which exerts great pressure on the environment.
In Chimborazo, Imbabura, Pichincha and Tungurahua Provinces there are organisations which try to teach, and improve beekeeping skills, but these are poorly funded.
Capital
Azuay, Bolfvar, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Imbabura, Loja, Manabim Pichincha, Tungurahua Provinces: 409 individuals with a total of 1280 hives.
;
Our thanks
to
Dr Giovanni Onore,
Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Ecuador, for providing the information and photographs for this article
References CHIERUZZI,M (1989) Etnomeliponicultura y analisis quimico de las mieles de cinco especies de abejas sin aguijén (Meliponinae}. Tesis previa
a la obtencién del
titulo de Licenciado en Ciencias Biélogicas.
Quito
Geography Ecuador is an Andean country, located on the Pacific coast of South America, and crossed by the Equator. It is bordered by Colombia to the north, Peru to the south and east. In Ecuador the Andes has two mountain ranges higher than 4000 m above sea level, which divide the territory into three natural regions:
Quito, Ecuador
The Western or Coastal Region with
COLOMA,L (1986) Contribucién para el conocimiento de las abejas sin aguij6n (Meliponinae, Apidae, Hymenoptera) de
humidity and exuberant forests. It is characterised by the presence of important rivers including Guayas and Esmeraldas.
Ecuador. Tesis previa
a la obtencién del titulo
de licenciado en Ciencia Bioldgicas
The Central Region or the Sierra
Quito,
Ecuador.
ONORE,G (1990) Primer registro en el Ecuador de Varroa jacobsoni, Acaro parasito de Apis mellifera Sanidad Vegetal 5: 104-107.
PONCE, (1988) Estudio
preliminar sobre patologia y fauna asociada a Apis mellifera en el Ecuador. Tesis previa a la obtencién del P
titulo de Licenciado en Crencias Buoldgicas.
is bordered
east and west by the Andes.
The Eastern Region or the Oriente presents two types of landscapes, the first goes up to 300 m altitude and the second from 300-600 m above sea level.
Present situation
Quito, Ecuador.
WINCKELL,A (1997) Los paisajes naturales Ecuador IGM Ecuador
a low
del
Ecuador has a democratic government. The country depends on the export of petroleum
Statistics Beekeepers registered in organisations (1989)
Beekeepers not registered with organisations (1989) Provinces as above: 540 individuals who have 5600 hives.
1997 honey production estimated at 1000 tonnes. This does not meet the national demand, and Ecuador imports honey from Argentina, Mexico and the USA.
Honey price: Real price is difficult to estimate because honey is presented in many ways: in jars, bottles and cans of unstandardised 1.25 litres. The price is approximately USS$8 per kilogram for consumers, and USS3 per kilogram trade price.
Bee species Before European colonisation of America only Melipona (or stingless bees), and some wasps were used for honey, pollen and wax production. There are still some native bees used for beekeeping, but without significant
production. In Ecuador there are at least 100 species of Melipona.
The first Apis arrived in Ecuador with the Spanish colonists, who
imported Apis Comb of Africanized bees from a feral hive.
SIX
Beekeeping
in Manabi Province with homemade hives.
mellifera mellifera
A Bees for Development publication
