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© Bees for Development
inside information
Bees for Development Journal
Several common threads run through this edition of Bees for Development Journal. News of the continuing damage caused by human's spread of bee parasites and predators comes from Zimbabwe, where Varroa, the parasitic mite of honeybees, has arrived and is causing havoc for beekeepers. In Pakistan too, the widespread loss of bees due to Varroa is now reported (page 12). In Nepal (page 6), Tanzania (page 12) and Zimbabwe (page 13), there have been meetings of beekeeping industry stakeholders, expressing the same concern in each country, that beekeepers need a stronger voice and better institutional support. Beekeeping is a small-scale activity, but it is very widely spread. It is often the poorest of the poor, living in the Earth's remote and isolated places, who produce honey as their only cash crop. This means that the beekeeping sector can be difficult to service, and these remote people are the last to benefit from resources such as training, credit and access to markets. Beekeepers can help themselves by forming strong, functional groups, and it is very good to see these projects (ICIMOD in Nepal, Heifer International in Tanzania and ITDG in Zimbabwe) taking the initiative to help beekeepers get organised and lobby on behalf of their industry. Zooming in features Slovakia where, as in all other European countries, the number of beekeepers is declining. In western countries, the high labour costs associated with beekeeping continue to increase as new pests and diseases of bees arrive, making small-scale beekeeping less viable in these countries where labour costs are high. This opens the market doors to beekeepers in poorer countries as long as they are well informed, and can be mobilised to take advantage of the situation.
Inside Information Editor Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator Helen Jackson BSc Bees for Development Journal is published quarterly by Bees for Development and has readers in over 130 countries. Subscription One year's subscription (four editions) for BfD Journal costs UK£20 (€30, US$30) including airmail delivery. If you are financially able to do so, you must pay the annual subscription. If you cannot pay your subscription, then write to us and we will strive to help you. Ways to pay are shown on page 15. Generous discounts are available for multiple subscriptions of ten or more. You may also subscribe through our website store, and choose to download BfD Journal if you wish. Readers in developing countries may pay their subscriptions by Beeswax Barter or Candle Currency. Details on page 16 of BfDJ 67 and News and Announcements Message Board at www.beesfordevelopment.org/forums.shtml
Copyright If you reproduce items we publish, please acknowledge BfD Journal, provide our contact details in full, and send us a copy of the item. Sponsorship We acknowledge recent support from V Kann Rasmussen Foundation, and all the individuals, beekeeping associations and groups that support us. Bees for Development Trust is a UK registered Charity (Number 1078803) raising funds to provide information to beekeepers in developing countries. For readers living in remote areas and with few resources, BfD Journal is often the only source of beekeeping news and information. Financial support to sponsor subscriptions is needed: please assist if you can. You can make a donation to the Trust: z by credit card through our secure website z by cheque or CAF cheque z by bank transfer Bank details: Bees for Development Trust (Account 85299 Code 40-52-40) at CafCash Ltd. UK tax payers: please use Gift Aid if you are eligible. We can send you a form, or download one at www.beesfordevelopment.org/trust.
in this issue... Inside information.....................2 Practical beekeeping .................3 Trees Bees Use..........................5 Project news from ICIMOD........6 Zoom in on Slovakia ................8 Look and Learn Ahead............10 Notice Board ..........................10 News around the World ..........11 Book Shelf..............................14
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