News

AFGHANISTAN

Fifty colonies of bees were purchased and transported from Pakistan to Badakhshan in the north-east of Afghanistan in 1992 and 1993. The areas most suited to beekeeping are those at lower altitudes, for example in the Jurm District. Thirty hives were initially distributed to ten families in five villages. Now 30 families in nine villages have 168 hives, with no further input from Afghanaid other than training. On average 19.3 kg of honey is harvested annually from each of the colonies in Jurm, and beekeeping is locally recognised as an industry.

Obaidullah from Hesarak village in Jurm District was given four hives Afghanaid. By his second year he was keeping ten hives with total yield of 130 kg of honey, 90 kg of which he sold. kilogram of honey sells for 250,000 Afghanis {about USS$4). When asked how the bees had affected his life he replied “First of all we use the honey within our family for food. It is also good for our health. With the money I make from selling honey have been able to buy ghee, rice, wheat, clothes and oil for my family. Without this money, it would be very difficult, maybe even impossible for us to make ends meet”.

Fazil was given three hives in 1994. By the end of 1997 he had 40 hives and explained, “I am 18 years old and am one of family of ten. My brother and look after the hives together. We sell the honey and surplus hives locally which means our family now has much higher income. We get 20-30 kg of honey from each hive”

Fazil lives in Baharak (a town of about 800 families) where there are now over 1000 hives. Baharak is home to Afghanaid’s “mother” stock which is used to supply bees to families in the Argu and Warduj areas of Badakhsan.

Afghanaid provides training and regular support to everyone who receives hives from them. There is an agreement that for each colony given one colony will be returned to Afghanaid the following year. In this way the programme is extended to other villages.

Yvonne Lane, Afghanaid

CAMEROON

In May 1998 APICA (Association for the Promotion of Community Initiatives) organised workshop, attended by local farmers, beekeepers, and representatives of NGOs, on the beekeeping potential in Adamaoua Province, Ngaoundéré.

The main objectives of the workshop were to analyse beekeeping practices, potential and problems in the Province, and to encourage the different groups concerned to find new perspectives concerning honey production and consumption.

During the workshop, Sucré-Villages (a networking organisation offering aid to beekeeping initiatives) discussed bee products in terms of social, economic and environmental worth, in addition to their use. The links between beekeeping and the environment were also explained.

Adolphe Libong, B&D's Correspondent in Cameroon

CUBA

Apimondia is the World Federation of Beekeeping Associations. In February 1998 Apimondia’s Commission for Apitherapy organised working meeting in Cuba. Cuba was selected as the meeting site because of the apitherapy research, and the determination to use natural medicines that exists there.

The first three days were devoted to the presentation of papers, the fourth day was for field visits, and the last day was a working meeting. One objective of the meeting was to establish for Cuba pharmacopoeia of the products of the hive: an “api-pharmacopoeia”.

Dr Theodore Cherbuliez, President of the Commission of Apitherapy of Apimondia

GHANA

Two Melipona stingless bee species found

Two economically important stingless bee species have been identified in Ghana by Brother Anthony Addai of St Anthony of Padua Friary, Sunyani. The two species, Meliponula bocandei and Meliponula nebulata were among six other stingless bee species collected from the tropical forests of Ghana. Five Hypotrigona species including Hypotrigona braunsi were also found. One other interesting stingless bee species that builds vertical combs made up of cells similar to that of Apis mellifera was found to exist in many parts of Ghana. It was identified as Dactylurina staudingeri. All the stingless bee species were scientifically identified with the assistance of Dr David Roubik of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, USA.

Brother Addai’s stingless bee study was supported by an International Foundation for Science research grant. According to Brother Addai the two Melipona species abound in the rainforest zones of the country and are capable of producing annually up to 9.5 litres of highly medicinal honey that is used in the treatment of many diseases.

Brother Addai plans to continue his research investigating methods for honey production by beekeepers.

Kwame Aidoo, B&D's Correspondent in Ghana

JAPAN

Propolis Researchers’ Association

The Propolis Researchers’ Association was established in November 1997. At the first meeting, two Brazilian and two Japanese professors gave talks on the production, nature and application of propolis in the past and in the future.

The current lack of communication between researchers, producers, and consumers was discussed and one of the future activities of the Association is to improve communication.

Consumption of propolis in Japan has increased rapidly over the last ten years in parallel with the advances of research into propolis. The Japan Propolis Association (with more than 240 member companies) celebrated its tenth anniversary in 1997.

Collaboration is needed throughout the world, especially among propolis researchers themselves and organisations such as Apimondia and other national associations. It is hoped that the PRA will soon be acting on an international basis.

Professor Mitsuo Matsuka, Chief Representative, Propolis Researchers’ Association

PERU

The National Apicultural Programme is operating to promote beekeeping at the national level. The Programme has established 10,000 honeybee colonies in the north coast area of the country to benefit more than 500 families of rural people who live in the dry forest areas of this region.

The project is the joint responsibility of the Department of Promotion and Development of Apiculture within the Ministry of Agriculture.

Jorge Murakami Uchida

SOUTH AFRICA

President Nelson Mandela was stung by honeybees in his bathroom at his vacation home in Qunu. President Mandela reported that although he knows it is better to stand still when bees are nearby, his boxing combative training got the better of him. “I feared getting stung so quickly moved. The bees launched counter attack and had to flee”. Mr Mandela was stung four or five times on the abdomen.

Source: The Times of India, 14 April 1998

TOBAGO

First Caribbean Beekeeping Congress

In contrast to its image as one of the world’s most popular tourism destinations, the Caribbean is relatively unknown for its beekeeping. Yet the region is regarded as having significant potential particularly in queen rearing and the production of high quality, multi-floral and chemical-residue-free honey. Beekeepers from Tobago have won, for example, 13 awards over the last two years at the United Kingdom National Honey Show.

Beekeeping in the Caribbean is being increasingly threatened by: the spread of pests and diseases (Varroa has been found in Grenada and Trinidad); reduction of foraging areas; honey importation; and the influx of Africanized bees. The support of regional governments for beekeeping has in general been poor.

The First Caribbean Beekeeping Congress offers unique opportunity for the Caribbean beekeeping community to meet and discuss the challenges and opportunities they face.

The Congress dates are 17-20 November 1998, and it is being convened under the auspices of the Apimondia Standing Commission for Beekeeping for Rural Development.

The theme of the Congress is Securing The Future of Caribbean Beekeeping.

The Congress will feature presentations on the status of beekeeping within the wider Caribbean region Belize, Bermuda to Surinam, by representatives from the respective countries. Also well- known guest speakers will deliver presentations on apitherapy, value added hive products, stingless bees, Africanized bees, beekeeping extension services and beekeeping legislation in the Caribbean. Several funding agencies and NGOs have been invited to deliver brief presentations. There will be a panel discussion on “Beekeeping Profitability”, an “open forum” on the Congress theme, a one-day field trip and post-congress field trip to Trinidad.

An output from the Congress will be an identification of strategies to ensure the growth and development of beekeeping.

Gladstone Solomon, B&D's Correspondent in Tobago