News

Pakistan

A three-year pilot project in apiculture has been launched by the Sind Forest Department. The aim of the project is to encourage beekeeping in rural areas and maximize the production of good quality honey, so that farmers’ incomes are increased and the need for imported honey is reduced. The project will encourage the cultivation of nectar bearing crops such as mango and mustard, and develop beekeeping management.

(Source: Business Recorder, Karachi, November 1983.)

Puerto Rico

The Beekeeper's Festival is to take place in Lares, Puerto Rico, during March 30 -April 1 1984,

More details from Associacion de Apicultores de Puerto Rico Inc.

Trinidad

Africanized bees first arrived in Trinidad in 1979 and they are now abundant in the country. The Trinidad Ministry of Agriculture he has arranged programme to try and reduce the aggressiveness of the bees by introducing docile European queen bees into the swarms of Africanized bees. Even before Africanized bees arrived, the Ministry of Agriculture had begun preparatory work to deal with any problems which might arise, and a "public awareness" programme was started, giving seminars on the characteristics of the bees and showing a film "Killer Bee - Fact or Fantasy?" Posters and booklets have also been distributed by the Ministry.

(Source: Trinidad Guardian, 7 February 1984 )

New Director

Here at IBRA we started the New Year with a new Director. After 35years as Director of IBRA, Dr. Eva Crane has retired. During these years Dr. Crane has helped to make apiculture recognized as an important part of modern science and she has travelled widely, studying different methods of beekeeping throughout the world; many of you must know her personally and yet more are acquainted with her many publications. Although retired as Director, Dr. Crane is still connected with IBRA in the Honorary office of Scientific Consultant to Council.

Like Dr. Crane the new Director, Dr. Margaret Adey, has a special interest in apiculture in the tropics and subtropics, and before taking up her new post here, she spent a month beekeeping in tropical Africa. Dr. Adey will be writing about her visit in a future edition of the Newsletter.