bees FOR DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL
AAA Tsunami Trust activities Apimondia Honey trade Top-bar hives JOURNAL 74
MARCH 2005
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BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT TRUST
BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT TRUST Bees for Development Trust raises funding to support the work of Bees for Development. This provides information and advice on all aspects of sustainable beekeeping to people and projects in developing countries: – Through the Bees for Development Information Service; – With sponsored subscriptions to Bees for Development Journal; – By providing Resource boxes to assist with workshops and training programmes; – By donating Book packs to libraries and beekeeping associations. Patrons David Bellamy OBE PhD FLS FIBiol Monty Don, Horticulturalist
Tam Dalyell FRSE DSC MP Bill Turnbull, News Broadcaster
Trustees Paul Smith (Chairperson) William Jones (Treasurer)
Elaine Spencer MBE (Secretary) Robert Spencer
We are asking you to support the Trust’s fund raising efforts
BILL TURNBULL'S LONDON MARATHON Bill Turnbull is a Presenter on BBC Breakfast Television, as well as a beekeeper and Patron of Bees for Development Trust. On 17 April 2005, Bill will run the London Marathon that is 26 miles 385 yards, (42 km) on behalf of the Trust! Please sponsor Bill so that every mile he covers helps the Trust. Find out more, and make a donation, and watch progress of this special appeal at: www.justgiving.com/beekeepers
PHILIP MCCABE'S BEE BEARD
Cover picture: Frank Sívic's image of a bee on hazel catkins is the winner of the IV Concurso Internacional de Fotografí Apícola (International Apiculture Photography Contest) organised by the Environment Council of Azuqueca de Henares, Spain. Details of how to enter the next contest are on page 7.
IN THIS ISSUE... Tsunami ........................................3 Practical Beekeeping .....................4 AAA..............................................5 International Honey Trade Symposium ...................................6 BfD Information Service .................7
The Irish Development Aid organisation, Bóthar and Bees for Development Trust are actively involved in providing beekeeping programmes and advice to poor families struggling to survive throughout the developing world. A unique world record attempt is giving both organisations an opportunity to raise much-needed funds. In June, Philip McCabe, Chairman of Apimondia Ireland 2005 and President of the Federation of Irish Beekeeping Associations, will attempt to wear a beard of 500,000 bees in an effort to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. The current world record is held by Mark Biancaniello, who was covered by bees weighing an estimated 50 kg, calculated at over 350,000 bees.
Apiculture Photography Contest .....7
This fund-raising opportunity has been created to mark the fact that the 2005 Apimondia Congress is taking place in Ireland (details on page 8). Please sponsor Philip in his record-breaking attempt: funds raised will be shared equally between Bees for Development Trust and Bóthar. For more information contact Pat McCarrick at Bóthar pat@bothar.ie or follow the links at: www.bothar.org www.beesfordevelopment.org www.apimondia2005.com/news
Book Shelf ..................................14
Bees for Development Trust Bank Details Account Name Account Number
Bees for Development Trust 00085299
Bank Name CafCash Ltd Bank Code 40-52-40
If you pay tax in the UK, all donations you make to Bees for Development Trust are eligible for Gift Aid. This means that the Trust can recover a further 28p for every £1 donated. We can send you a form, or download one at: www.beesfordevelopment.org/trust Bees for Development Trust UK Charity Number 1078803 2
Apimondia 2005...........................8 News around the World...............10 Save the Læsø bee ......................12 News from Njiro .........................12 Look and Learn Ahead ................13 Notice Board ..............................13
Bees for Development Post
Troy, Monmouth NP25 4AB, UK Phone +44 (0)16007 13648 Fax +44 (0)16007 16167 E-mail info@beesfordevelopment.org Web www.beesfordevelopment.org
TSUNAMI
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TSUNAMI The Tsunami in the Indian Ocean has left in its wake the appalling deaths of over 200,000 people, and devastation of coastal areas. The toll of the disaster was magnified by two human failures: firstly the lack of an early warning system, and secondly, the destruction, during the past 50 years, of the defences that nature provided against catastrophes from the sea. Until recent years, the Indian Ocean shores were protected by double barriers of solid coral reefs and thick dense mangrove swamps that served to absorb energy from tidal waves. In Asia more than half the mangrove forests have been removed to make way for tourist resorts and beaches, towns, and shrimp farms. In the south of India, coastal areas such as Pichavaram and Muthaupet that retain dense mangrove suffered far fewer casualties and less damage. Coastal areas of Burma - where much mangrove remains in place - suffered far
less than Thailand, where most mangroves have been cleared. To quote the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, "Medium and long-term rehabilitation demands firstly strengthening the ecological foundations of human security, and secondly rehabilitating sustainable livelihoods". India's ecological programme will involve the creation of coastal bio-shields, requiring reforestation with mangrove. The Tsunami has left behind the need for alternative employment for people affected, some of whom were already displaced and are now faced again with resettlement. Clearly beekeeping will play a useful role in helping people to re-create livelihoods in the coastal areas of these countries. Readers in Tsunami affected areas are welcome to contact Bees for Development Trust for assistance at: trust@beesfordevelopment.org, via our website, or by post c/o BfD.
BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT TRUST TSUNAMI APPEAL Areas affected by the December 2004 Tsunami are parts of the world where Bees for Development has enjoyed good links with partner organisations. It is possible for us to use established local networks for making equipment and distributing aid to beekeepers and their families. Helping beekeepers to get started again can quickly help them towards recovering their livelihood. It seems that even the fruit trees are being killed by the salt overdose, and assistance with reforestation will be appropriate. Please help by donating to this special Appeal: Account Name Account No Bank Name Bank Code
BfDTrust Tsunami Appeal 00012703 CafCash Ltd 40-52-40
Mangrove forest (left): nature's speed breakers, giving coastal areas protection against storms, cyclones and Tsunami. For coastal communities mangrove provides habitat for marine life, as well as medicines, fruit, wood for fuel, and water filtration systems. Mangrove is an excellent source of nectar for honey and bees are mangrove's pollinators, ensuring regeneration of this vital habitat. Mangrove forests are also very efficient carbon sinks, helping to reduce the imbalance between carbon emission and absorption. 3
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PRACTICAL BEEKEEPING
Practical Beekeeping
Top-bar hives in Eastern Senegal André Romet Apiculteurs Sans Frontières, France
It is a beautiful location for beekeeping, with over 70 traditional beekeepers living around the 12 villages of Oubadji. The French association, Dia-Dia, has been
involved in many activities with these villagers since 1999. A group of trainee beekeepers, keen to improve their harvesting methods, recently called upon Apiculteurs Sans Frontières for assistance. The trainees wanted to avoid burning the hives to reach the honey and the brood; to help them, a three-week training session was organised in December 2004. Nineteen beekeepers, both Peuls and Bassaris took part in the training. They chose to use a modified top-bar hive for a model; the wooden bases and the two smaller sides were cut in Dakar and brought to the village, whilst the taller sides, roof and top-bars were all constructed in situ, made from raffia palm. Thirty-two hives were built and shared amongst the trainees, who placed them around the countryside. These were promptly inhabited by the numerous wild swarms found in the Park Savannah.
Building the hives
Building the hives
The wooden base and two smaller hive sides were made in Dakar and brought to the village. The taller sides, roof and top-bars were all constructed locally.
Top-bars are made from raffia palm
In eastern Senegal, south of Niokolo Koba Park, you will find the lush vegetation of a wooded savannah, which despite yearly bush fires remains exceptionally dense.
All images © André Romet
However, the inhabitants of these territories, the local Peuls and Bassaris people are very poor. Their villages are completely isolated during the rainy season which can last up to six months. The nearest shop and market are 30 km away in Senegal, or 18 km in Guinea.
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AAA
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ASIAN APICULTURAL ASSOCIATION
The trainees also know how to render wax using a solar extractor and how to make it into sheets.
A second training session in February 2005, showed how to divide the colonies, make raffia frames and use centrifuge equipment to extract honey. There is also a plan to build a room to process the honey and with the assistance of Electriciens Sans Frontières, the room will be lit using solar energy.
Established in 1992, AAA encourages the exchange of information between bee scientists and beekeepers in Asia.
Join AAA Annual rates Individual Membership
US$20
Institutional Membership
US$100
Sustaining Membership
US$300
If you live in Asia join AAA by contacting your local Representative. There are AAA Representatives in 20 countries: see Bees for Development's website www.beesfordevelopment.org/files/index.shtml If you live outside Asia send payment directly to: AAA Office Honeybee Science Research Center Tamagawa University Machida-Shi Tokyo 194 8610 JAPAN
Sticking wax strips on to the raffia top-bars
E-mail: HSRC@agr.tamagawa.ac.jp www.tamagawa.ac.jp/HSRC/aaa
8th AAA CONFERENCE 20-24 March 2006 Perth, AUSTRALIA
Making wax sheets
For a copy of the First Circular and information about the Conference contact Kim Fewster AAA Representative in Australia at kfewster@iinet.net.au Proceedings from the 3rd, 4th and 6th AAA Conferences are available to buy from BfD Details of the Proceedings of the 7th Conference held in the Philippines in 2004 will be available shortly. Bees for Development Journal is proud to be the official Newsletter of AAA
Solar wax extractor 5
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HONEY TRADE ISSUES
VIETNAM HOSTS INTERNATIONAL HONEY TRADE SYMPOSIUM This important meeting was the First Symposium on Issues Concerning Developing Countries' International Trade in Honey. It was organised by three of Apimondia's Standing Commissions: Beekeeping Economy, Beekeeping for Rural Development and Honeybee Pathology. A total of 161 people from 23 countries participated in the Symposium, which was held in Hanoi's new Sheraton Hotel, in November 2004.
legislation concerning honey imports (BfDJ 59 and BfDJ 63), and companies exporting to the USA must register with the US Food and Drug Administration. Much of the legislation concerning honey and food imports in general relates to the
Vietnam was an appropriate country for this Symposium, having achieved a remarkable increase in honey production and export in recent years. However this development has not been without many problems along the way. Beekeepers' groups - in Vietnam and other developing countries - who plan to export honey, must these days have an excellent understanding of market requirements. The EU enforces strict
See page 9 for details of the Bees for Development Workshop on honey trade, taking place prior to the Apimondia Congress in Ireland, August 2005. need for absence of residues of medicines: these may occur in honey if used to control honeybee diseases. The easiest solution for beekeepers is to avoid the use of these medicines in the first place. Therefore the Symposium provided the current, best knowledge of how to treat honeybee diseases and Varroa mites in ways that are both sustainable and avoid the use of medicines that will leave residues in honey and/or beeswax. This excellent Symposium provided a unique opportunity for producers, traders, buyers and top scientists to exchange information. Symposium sponsors We particularly thank Sojitz Europe plc for their sponsorship of this Symposium. Other sponsors included: Apidona, Beehonex, Cordaid, CIDSE, Dak Lak Honeybee Stock Co, Duc Huy Co Ltd, FAO, Long Quan Co Ltd, Phong Son Co Ltd, Southern Honey Co Ltd, Thao Nguyen Co Ltd, Vietnam Honey Co Ltd and Vinapi.
Do your bees make propolis? Mr Vu Van Xuan, a beekeeper keeping Apis cerana honeybees in Hung Yen Province
© D Q Tam
www.beevitalpropolis.com We would like to test it and possibly buy it from you. James Fearnley of BeeVital is a leading world authority on the nature of propolis & its medicinal properties, he is author of Bee Propolis-Natural Healing from the Hive retailing at £7.99 plus p&p. A major research project has been started by BeeVital and we would like your help. If you are interested in finding out whether your propolis is suitable for medicinal use and learning about sustainable ways of harvesting & using propolis please send a sample (50g) to: BeeVital, Brereton Lodge, Goathland, Whitby, North Yorkshire YO22 5JR, UK Tel: ++44 (0) 1947 896037 Fax: ++44 (0) 1947 896482 Email: info@beevitalpropolis.com
Symposium delegates enjoying their delicious Vietnamese lunch in traditional style 6
Bees for Development Journal
BEES FOR DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION SERVICE
INTERNATIONAL APICULTURE PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST Announced by the Environment and Culture Council of The Excellency of Azuqueca de Henares City Government, Spain, through the Municipal Apiculture School Participants Open to citizens and organisations around the world
Five photographs is the maximum number allowed per entrant, in either report or single format Mailing Photographs should be mailed (all costs covered) to V Concurso Internacional de Fotografía Apícola, Concejalía del Medio Ambiente Excmo, Ayuntamiento de Azuqueca de Henares, 19200 Guadalajara, Spain
Photographs must be original and unpublished
Full details
Categories Individual photograph
Bees for Development helps projects and groups in developing countries by providing publications for use at training courses and workshops. In addition to copies of Bees and rural livelihoods, our Resource Boxes contain a selection from: – Bees for Development Journal - an excellent resource and important first contact for new beekeepers;
Unframed paper - minimum size 13 x 18 cm CD format E-mail to aulaapicola@jet.es
Topic Apiculture in any of its aspects: biology, flora, products, hives, bee yards, customs and uses, commerce, promotion, art, etc. A human presence will be especially appraised.
Technique All including digital photography in black and white or colour
Bees and rural livelihoods Nicola Bradbear, 2003 16 pages A5 Las abejas y la subsistencia rural 2004 16 pages A4 Spanish edition translated by Rafael Thimann As abelhas e o meio de vida rural 2004 16 pages A4 Portuguese edition translated by Breno Freitas Bees and rural livelihoods explains why beekeeping is such a great activity. Beekeepers and projects in developing countries are welcome to request copies free of charge. Remember to state the language you prefer. For readers living elsewhere each booklet costs £5 (€7.50). Sponsored by Anglo American plc
Presentation
or by e-mail to aulaapicola@jet.es E-mail aulaapicola@jet.es or aulaapicola@azuqueca.net www.aulaapicolazuqueca.com Closing Date 30 April 2005
Reports - three to five photographs per theme Historic/artistic photographs – Information charts - including our famous 'Ten Reasons Why?' Promote Beekeeping in Rural Development poster; – Proceedings of the First West African Bee Research Seminar donated to meetings concerning beekeeping in Africa. Also available for sale at £10 (€15) Code B320; – Strengthening livelihoods: exloring the role of beekeeping in rural development. Also available for purchase £22 (€33) Code B480; – A selection of other appropriate publications, subject to funding availability. Organisations with some financial resources can order Resources Boxes. The standard charge is £50 for 25 participants (surface mail delivery). To ensure Resource Boxes arrive in time your request must reach us at least 12 weeks ahead of the meeting date, with an indication of the number of participants. 7
PROJECT PLANNERS
When writing proposals remember to include an allowance for publications and BfDJ subscriptions in your budget. We can help with expert advice and supply you with an appropriate beekeeping library. Why not prepare a proposal and submit it to businesses and funding organisations in your area, or to your local British Council office? Remember also to include participation costs for beekeeping meetings, such as the biennial Apimondia Congresses (see page 8).
MASTER CLASS
Bees for Development arranges beekeeping study tours and visits world-wide. Tailor made to suit you and your budget. Contact us for details.
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APIMONDIA 2005
APIMONDIA 2005 Apimondia Standing Commission for Pollination and Bee Flora
The 39th APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress takes place in Dublin, Ireland from 21 - 26 August 2005
Workshop 22 August
BOTANICAL ORIGIN AND QUALITY OF HONEY
Next August will bring an amazing meeting of bee enthusiasts from around the world. Thousands will participate in what will be the largest International Congress ever organised in Dublin, and every aspect of bees, beekeeping and apicultural science will be covered.
The Standing Commission for Pollination and Bee Flora will organise this Workshop in co-operation with NECTAR (the Netherlands Expertise Centre for Tropical Apicultural Resources) and the International Honey Commission, endorsed by the FAO of the UN. The Workshop will provide an introduction to simple methods of microscopic analysis of the botanical origin of honey and related characteristics: the focus will be on pollen analysis. The Workshop is intended for people from developing countries, but others are invited to take part if capacity allows. For this very basic workshop we do not focus on experts in this field. Participation is free and will be based on separate registration: please write directly to the Standing Commission at m.j.sommeijer@bio.uu.nl. The Workshop will take place if 20 participants register, with a maximum capacity of 50 participants.
Apimondia Standing Commission for Beekeeping for Rural Development
Workshops 23-25 August
PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF BEEKEEPING We anticipate that many people from developing countries will participate in the Congress. In addition to the Plenary Session on Day 1 (Monday 22 August) during the following three days Tuesday 23 - Thursday 25 August, a series of short practical sessions will include: Candle making Making hives Processing bee products Hives for stingless bees Management tips
WORLD HONEY SHOW
Pollination Solar-wax extractors Top-bar hives Value added products Marketing tips
Honey Shows have a long and important tradition within Ireland. The Dublin Congress will host the very first World Honey Show. The Contest is not only for honey: there are also classes for beeswax, candles, mead and honey confectionary. Why not enter and take home a prize! Forms and details of entry can be downloaded from the Congress website: www.apimondia2005.com
It is not necessary to register separately for these workshops: participation is included in your Congress Registration Fee. Contact Bees for Development if you have a special beekeeping skill that you would like to demonstrate during these Workshops.
APIMONDIA is the World Federation of Beekeepers' Associations
4th CARIBBEAN BEEKEEPING CONGRESS
...and represents the interests of beekeepers worldwide. Apimondia organises a major international Congress every second year. Recent Congresses have taken place in Vancouver (1999), Durban (2001) and Ljubljana (2003).
will take place in November 2005, under the auspices of the Apimondia Standing Commission for Beekeeping for Rural Development. Details on page 16
It is Dublin's turn this year, and the next Congress will take place in Melbourne, Australia in 2007. See Look Ahead, PAGE 13
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APIMONDIA
APIMONDIA 2005
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Bees for Development at the Congress
Presentations If you intend to present a paper at Apimondia, you must submit an abstract (summary) of your paper by 1 May 2005.
Bees for Development and the Irish Aid Agency Bóthar (www.bothar.org) are co-operating to have a stand at Apimondia. Within this area, space will be available for organisations based in developing countries to display their work. It is essential that you contact us in advance if you would like to display your work.
Do this at the Apimondia website ww.apimondia2005.com
Congress Registration Eligible delegates from developing countries are entitled to a discounted Registration Fee. You will obtain even further discount if you register before 1 June 2005.
Funding to participate in the Congress You will need funding to cover your costs of travel, subsistence, and the Registration Fee. For hints on preparing a proposal to obtain funding, visit the Bees for Development website at www.beesfordevelopment.org and download the files on Finding Funding.
CONTACT INFORMATION Apimondia 2005 c/o Ovation Group 1 Clarinda Park North Dun Laoghaire Co Dublin IRELAND Tel: (+353) 1280 2641 Fax: (+353) 1280 2665 E-mail apimondia2005@ovation.ie Web www.apimondia2005.com
Bees for Development Honey Trade Workshop 19-20 August 2005 This Workshop is being organised by Bees for Development. It is part of our DFID BLCF Project on African Honey. It will take place for two days prior to the Congress, in Jurys' Ballsbridge Hotel, near to the Congress venue. The specific purpose of the Workshop is to enable honey marketing organisations in Africa and other developing countries to understand requirements for honey intended for import by the EU. Participants will be guided in the steps needed to prepare a Residue Monitoring Scheme to meet EU requirements. Registration Fee Participants from developing countries - 100 Euros Participants from other countries - 200 Euros Participation is strictly limited, and applicants from developing countries will be given priority. Book early if you would like to attend. Registration for this Workshop is at the Apimondia Congress website: www.apimondia2005.com 9
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NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD A national programme for the development of beekeeping was presented on 10 February in Sofia's Inter-Expo Centre. In the Orthodox Church, 10 February marks St Haralampii's Day - St Haralampii is believed to have discovered honey's healing powers. The new programme was developed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests in co-operation with the German Association for Technical Partnerships and Bulgarian beekeeping organisations. Working groups discussed natural resources, bee breeding technologies and bee protection, as well as honey production, marketing and product safety. The programme aims to help Bulgaria derive maximum benefit from the funds, which are expected to be granted for developing the bee breeding sector after the country's entry into the EU. Last year the EU enforced new regulations to allow member countries to receive financial support after presenting three-year national development programmes. In 2004, Bulgaria exported 5,620 tonnes of honey, 70% of which flowed into the EU market.
ETHIOPIA Alage Agricultural, Vocational, Technical and Training College accommodates 5,000 students and has 7,000 ha of land. There are five beekeeping stations with modern buildings and we have 600 frame hives, reports Selman Nigusu, Head of the Beekeeping and Training Centre. The picture shows us making low-cost clay hives which have been tested by the College. The hive takes standard Langstroth hive frames and top-bars can be also used. The hive is 108 cm long by 48 cm wide and 21 cm deep. The annual honey yield - in terms of both quality and quantity - is near to those of frame hives.
D R CONGO We held a workshop on how to divide a colony to form two. Twenty beekeepers attended and expressed their satisfaction to solve the problem of swarm rarity. 100 women beekeepers
who received a loan through micro credit schemes have started to reimburse the loan (eight litres of honey), equivalent in value to one hive. Gracia Matondo, Salvation Army Development Officer, Kinshasa Gombe
IRAN
© T A Quaye
Source: Apis-UK February 2005
© Selman Nigusu
BULGARIA
In the past 11 months 28,500 tonnes of honey were produced in Iran, reported Reza Torkashvand, General Director of Poultry and Beekeeping in the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad. There are currently 2.7 million honeybee colonies in the country, each colony producing about 12 kg of honey. Iran stands 11th in the world table of honey producers, with 2.2% of total world output. Source: MehrNews.com - Tehran, Iran, 2 March 2005 in FAO NWFP-Digest-L 3/05 LOOKING AHEAD
GHANA Mr T A Quaye, Director of Friends of Bee Enterprise in Kumasi sent in this picture of a training session held in February for the northern sector of the Ghanaian Army. The officers are learning how to bait hives, to attract passing swarms or colonies. 10
Planning a conference, workshop or meeting? Send details to Bees for Development, Troy, Monmouth, NP25 4AB, UK E-mail info@beesfordevelopment.org
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
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IRAQ Rebuilding beekeeping
A part of rural life in the northern Iraqi mountains for thousands of years, honey production had been no less devastated by the Baathist campaigns of 1976 and 1988. Then, farmers had done their best to start again, but, after 1991, with the Kurdish region on the brink of starvation, they had more pressing concerns. The job of rebuilding the beekeeping industry in Dahuk fell largely on the American NGO, Concern4Kids (C4K). Country Director Robert Anderson said, "We were helping in the reconstruction of villages in the Matin mountains, just south of the Turkish border. Villagers were happy to be back, but they were struggling and had a poor diet". There was no apparent answer where to find bees until a Turkish Kurdish smuggler arrived with a mule laden with two hives full of bees. "He was very poor, and wanted US$15 for the hives: we offered a lot more. The man had 48 more hives in Turkey. Two by two, he brought them, braving minefields along the border", remembers Anderson. Many of the villagers had no experience of bees and needed training. This job fell to men like Abdulrahman Senduri, who had studied agriculture in Baghdad in the early 1970s. Drafted in by C4K, he toured villages north of Dahuk, teaching farmers how to divide colonies, and to recognise the signs of parasitic infestation. C4K had to leave Dahuk for a year in 1996 when Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani invited the Iraqi army in to fight off forces from rival Kurdistan. C4K returned to find many hives had been stolen and sold by a former local employee. Despite such setbacks, beekeeping is once again widespread.
© IRIN
The Kurds like to say that their only friends are the mountains. Beekeeper Abdulrahman Senduri thinks the same could be said about honeybees, "Banging a piece of metal next to a hive is enough to get the bees to fly off into the hills. Imagine the state of the bee population in 1991, when Saddam put down the Kurdish rebellion. The hives were all burned or smashed, and the sky was black with bees, fleeing north towards Turkey".
Abdulrahman Senduri points out the queen in one of his new colonies
There are C4K hives in Mergesur, four hours by road from Dahuk. Further west other groups, including FAO, have also sponsored honey production. Hasan Hamed Amin bought 40 hives in 1996, "We now have 300 hives, and honey has become our surest way of making money". Mr Senduri said, "Beekeeping is not a job for fools, but the villagers were eager to learn. My biggest battle was persuading them not to feed sugar to the bees all year round. It is easy, but it makes the bees lazy, and the honey produced is no good". A jar of locallyproduced, almond flower honey costs US$9. Customers took their time to accept a higher price, but now sales are good. With the honey on its way to conquering the local market, C4K are planning export: first stop Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Source: IRINNews.org IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) - a humanitarian news agency covering sub-Saharan Africa, eight countries in central Asia as well as Iraq.
PHILIPPINES Curiosity pays This is how Florante Siapno, of Lumacao village near Manila, explains how he came to produce an organic red wine from honey. Mr Siapno has 11
been keeping bees for over 25 years and considers the honey wine as one of his greatest and sweetest achievements. He started producing his wine after attending an advanced training course on honeybee culture and product development at the University of the Philippines in Los Baños. Participants were encouraged to look for products apart from the usual honey, wax and pollen. The result is an organic wine that is medicinal and highly nutritious. Made of honey, water used to wash combs, calamansi and yeast, the wine boasts a very low alcohol at 2.5% and carries no expiration date. The wine is made to order and costs P250 per litre. (€1 = P71; US$1 = P54.16) Mr Siapno says that the wine is so far his best and most profitable product, although he has also done well with his original products. He explained that the best thing about honeybee products is that demand for them is always high. Honey is popular in the market and sells for P150 per litre. Honey is also a sought-after flavour for paediatric drugs. Beeswax is usually made into first-class candles for Metro Manila buyers. The wax sells at P1,500 per kg. Pollen from honeybees Apis cerana and stingless bees Trigona sp, is the main ingredient for making certain medicines. Source: FAO NWFP-Digest-L 3/05
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NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
SAVE INDIGENOUS BEES IN EUROPE One of the last remaining populations of the European honeybee Apis mellifera mellifera is threatened. These are the Black Bees on Læsø, an isolated Danish Island that lies west of Sweden in the Kattegat Sea. In 1992 Denmark signed the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity, and the law was passed for Læsø Island to become a protected area where only beekeeping with the Black Bees is allowed. After this, beekeepers who kept other bees claimed compensation, although this claim was later dropped. They also took their case to the European Court in Luxemburg, but were unsuccessful. The Court ruled that the Preservation Order on the Læsø Black Bee was a requirement of The Danish Government, and that no other race of bees should be allowed on to the Island. Today on Læsø there are about 30 beekeepers using the Black Bees,
and just a few who continue to fight the ban and illegally use other bees, and even import bees. This has led to the recent introduction of Varroa and Acarapis mites.
NEWS FROM NJIRO
market situation of honey in Arusha and Moshi towns. Our research considered public awareness, availability of honey, extent of use and sources of honey. Of 173 people interviewed in Arusha, 166 (96%) had knowledge of honey. In Moshi 200 people were interviewed and 160 (80%) had knowledge of honey. The availability of honey in shops, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, general markets and pharmacies in Arusha town was only 44%, while the availability in Moshi town was even lower at 14%. Usage is still low: out of 166 respondents who had knowledge of honey, 54% used honey in one way or another in Arusha. Honey is used mainly as food (35%), medicine (14%) and others (5%), which includes rituals, brewing and cosmetics. In Moshi, out of those 160 who had knowledge of honey, only 30% used honey in one way or another, mostly as a medicine (14%) or food (11%). There is a great need to double honey and beeswax production. Increased honey production should be coupled with deliberate measures to increase the local demand for honey. For example, if the annual per capita consumption of honey was just 150g, 5,000 tonnes would be needed.
Between 1993 and 1997 Bees for Development worked with Njiro Wildlife Research Centre in Arusha, Tanzania on the DFID-funded research project 'Sustainable beekeeping for Africa'. Angela Mwakatobe and Charles Mlingwa sent the following update about the Centre's recent activities. Njiro Wildlife Research Centre conducted research on how beekeeping could contribute to the national economy and now we are proposing ways to improve the industry. Tanzania is endowed with natural resources suitable for the nourishment of the beekeeping industry, particularly the presence of miombo woodlands, with tree species Brachystegia, Combretum, Isoberlina, Julbernadia and Terminalia. The industry in Tanzania has the capacity to produce about 138,000 tonnes of honey worth TZS138 billion per year. An estimated annual production potential for beeswax of 9,200 tonnes is valued at TZS23 billion per year. Although Tanzania is well known for honey, beeswax is also important: the current annual production of 324 tonnes may represent only 3.5% of the potential. As a starting point towards the expansion of the bee products industry, we carried out a survey to assess the
Ironically, it was only last September that SICCAM, (The International Organisation on the preservation of the Northern European Black Bee) held its biannual conference on Læsø, to focus attention on the need to protect this special bee population. SICCAM passed a resolution calling for this unique population of bees to receive the protection it needs. Now however, The Danish Minister of Agriculture, Hans Christian Schmidt, has decided that it is in the interests of human liberty for the few, vocal, beekeepers who request it, to be allowed to take in other races of bees to the Island, and that only a small part
€1 = TZS1,420, UK£1 = TZS2,064 US$1 = TZS1,104
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of the Island will be a protected area for the Black Bees. The Island of Læsø is only 25 km long; therefore, as every beekeeper will understand, it is not possible to keep the populations of bees separate. The Danish Beekeepers Federation has fought hard to protect the black bees, even though its own government subsidy is at stake. The majority of beekeepers in Denmark want the Black Bees on Læsø to be protected. This is a precious resource, not just for Denmark but also in world terms. We are asking readers of this Journal to assist them in their campaign by writing or e-mailing the Danish Minister of Agriculture and Food. His contact details are: Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Hans Christian Schmidt, Holbergssgade 2, DK 1057 Copenhagen, Denmark or e-mail fvm@fvm.dk
BEEKEEPER'S SAFARI TO TANZANIA 7-2 21 September 2005 In partnership with Njiro Wildlife Research Centre The programme will include – Village beekeepers – African honeybees and stingless bees – Markets – National Parks – Apiaries in West Kilimanjaro – Local style beekeeping – Top-bar hive apiaries – Ngorongoro Crater – Lake Manyara and the tree lions – Elephants, zebras and leopards – And much more...
Interested? Contact safari@beesfordevelopment.org or see our website
LOOK AHEAD / LEARN AHEAD / NOTICE BOARD
LOOK AHEAD ARGENTINA: 1° Congreso de Apicultura del Mercosur(1st Beekeeping Congress of Mercosur). 24-26 June 2005, Punta del Este. Further details www.sociedadapicola.org.uy AUSTRALIA: 8th Asian Apicultural Association Conference 20-24 March 2006, Perth Further details kfewster@iinet.net.au 40th APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress 9-1 13 September 2007, Melbourne Further details apimondia2007.com.au BRAZIL: XVI Congresso Brasileiro de Apicultura (XVI Brazilian Beekeeping Congress). May 2006, CBA, Sergipe Further details www.se.sebrae.com.br COLOMBIA: II Congresso Internacional de Propolis (II International Propolis Congress) 31 August - 2 September 2005, Santafe de Bogota Further details telephone (+57) 8266 9162 HONDURAS: 2° Congreso Centroamericano Apicola (2nd Central American Beekeeping Congress) 20-21 May 2005, Tegucigalpa Further details anapih@cablecolor.hn
Bees for Development Journal
IRELAND: 39th APIMONDIA International Apicultural Congress 21-26 August 2005, Dublin Further details page 8 RUSSIA: Intermiod 2005: 6th International Beekeeping Exhibition and Conference 20-23 April 2005, Moscow Further details usadba@expostroy.ru Third European Congress on Social Insects 22-27 August 2005, St Petersburg Further details www.bio.pu.ru/win/entomol/ Kipyatkov/iussi/2005/firstann.htm TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: 4th Caribbean Beekeeping Congress 14-18 November 2005, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Further details see page 16 UK: British Beekeepers' Spring Convention 16 April 2005, Stoneleigh Park Further details www.bbka.org.uk USA: 50th Anniversary of the Eastern Apicultural Society 1-5 August 2005, Kent State University, Ohio. Further details www.easternapiculture.org XV International Congress of the IUSSI 30 July - 5 August 2006, Washington Further details www.iussi.org/IUSSI2006.html
NOTICE BOARD NOTICE BOARD CONGRATULATIONS Sociedad Apícola Uruguaya celebrated its 70th year in 2004. For details of their next meeting, see Look Ahead above. PROJECT SUPPORT FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, supports beekeeping projects in developing countries. Beekeepers' groups and associations may apply for small project funding (less than US$10,000) from the TeleFood Special Fund. Request documents should include a brief description of the project's objectives, the proposed food production or income-generating activities, the work plan, the number of participants, a detailed list of inputs with cost estimates and the reporting arrangements. Submit your request to the office of FAO or UNDP in your country. Applications for projects with budgets over US$10,000 must be submitted through a Government Ministry. See www.fao.org Remember to tell BfD the outcome of your application
BEE CRAFT A full colour monthly magazine for beginners and experts alike covering all aspects of beekeeping in the UK and Ireland. FREE SAMPLE COPY on request, £20 for 12 issues. Credit cards accepted. Contact secretary@bee-craft.com ULUDAG BEE JOURNAL Publication of Uludag Beekeeping Association. Quarterly, in Turkish with English titles and summaries of articles. News, practical information and research articles - a link between Turkish beekeeping and the world. Contact www.uludagaricilik.org BEE BOOKS NEW AND OLD The Weaven, Little Dewchurch, Hereford HR2 6PP, UK, for your new and secondhand books. Telephone +44 (0)1432 840529 or www.honeyshop.co.uk. IFS GRANTS Project proposals are welcome at the IFS Secretariat throughout the year. Administrative deadlines are 30 June and 31 December. Timeframe from deadline to final decision about six months. Further information at www.ifs.se
Copyright: As part of Bees for Development's Information Service you are welcome to translate and/or reproduce items appearing in our Journal. Permission is given on the understanding that Bees for Development Journal and author(s) are acknowledged, our contact details are provided in full, and you send us a copy of the item, or the website address where it is used. All items remain © Bees for Development.
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VENEZUELA 1st Congresso Internacional de Apicultura (1st International Beekeeping Congress) 26-29 July 2005, San Cristóbal Further details http://investigacion.unet.edu.ve/ apicultura2005/
LEARN AHEAD GERMANY: Apitherapy Congress, Expo and Course 1-6 April 2005, Passau Further details www.apitherapy.com IRELAND: Irish Beekeepers' Summer Course 25-30 July 2005, Gormanston Further details eosbee@indigo.ie KENYA: Short courses 2005 at Baraka College 24-30 April Beekeeping 28 August - 3 September Making equipment. Further details www.sustainableag.org UK: Advanced Bee Husbandry Course 18-23 July 2005, York Further details ken@basterfield.com USA: Organic Beekeeping Workshop 29-30 April, 2005, Chestnut Ridge, NY Further details www.info@pfeiffercenter.org
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BOOKSHELF - Available from BfD NOW at www.beesfordevelopment.org
Book Shelf Apis dorsata - the Manageable Bee Digambar B Mahindre 32.50) Code M005 2004 260 pages A5 £21.65 (€3 Apis dorsata is a species of honeybee found in Asia. It builds large, single combs, suspended from branches of trees, cliffs or city buildings. In many parts of India honey is obtained from these bees by means of 'honey hunting', plundering the nest for its honey. Around 22,000 tonnes of honey are harvested annually this way. During the process many bees and colonies are killed, and the honey harvested may be of poor quality. Digambar Mahindre has studied and worked with Apis dorsata for over 50 years, and has developed a way of harvesting high quality honey, and without harm to the bees. He uses an 'attraction plank', where the bees are encouraged to settle and build their nest. Using this plank the colony can be lowered for harvesting. Smoke is used to clear bees from the part of the comb where honey is stored. The area of honeycomb is then cut out, without damage to the rest of the nest. This book contains a large amount of useful information about Apis dorsata: its current status for honey production in India, honey hunting, and experiences of working with tribal groups. An interesting text and record of Mr Mahindre's life work.
Beeing: Life, Mortherhood, and 180,000 Honeybees Rosanne Daryl Thomas 22.50) Code T300 2002 228 pages Hardback £15 (€2
With a novelist's eye for detail Rosanne Daryl Thomas opens the mysterious world of beekeeping to a new audience. This beautifully presented text could make an appropriate gift for a new beekeeper, but maybe not for the more macho practitioner. Post-husband, pre-rest-of-life, the author and her seven year old daughter move to a small New England town in the USA. When she decides to take up beekeeping, her daughter is so proud of her that she cannot back out. Thomas learns much from the Bee Master and other locals intrigued by a novice beekeeper who needs their help - at first. As she finds her courage, Thomas also finds herself embracing a life she never dreamed of. Entering the mysterious world of bees, she begins a relationship with nature that mingles science with mythology, and with a search for new ways of seeing untried possibilities. She learns that beekeeping, like life, can never be completely mastered. There is always room to make another mistake, and with each mistake comes an opportunity. Along the way, she gets her share of stings, some honey and a little wisdom.
Queen Rearing Simplified Vince Cook 16.40) Code C315 2004 reprint 63 pages A5 paperback £10.95 (€1 A very clear and practical guide to queen rearing. The author worked as New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries Beekeeping Advisor, before returning to the UK as National Beekeeping Specialist. Vince Cook offered advice without trying to persuade people to accept his ideas, and so kept his mind open to the thoughts of other beekeepers. In this book he describes a method of queen rearing he developed in New Zealand for his own use. He wrote (typically): "Let me hasten to say that what I am about to describe is not the be all and end all of queen rearing". This text was first published in 1986. Because the queen rearing method works well and this is such a very clear and helpful text, Northern Bee Books have reprinted this new edition.
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BOOKSHELF - Available from BfD NOW at www.beesfordevelopment.org
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YOU NEED TO KNOW Bees for Development Journal Editor Nicola Bradbear PhD Co-ordinator Helen Jackson BSc – One year subscription (four issues) UK£20 (€28, US$34) – Discounts available for multiple subscriptions of ten or more. – Subscribe at our website store with the choice to receive BfDJ by post or download in PDF format, or send payment as shown below. – Readers in developing countries can pay subscriptions by Beeswax Barter or Candle Currency. See BfDJ67 Subscription to Bees for Development Journal includes airmail delivery to anywhere in the world.
HOW TO ORDER – Use the secure order and payment system at www.beesfordevelopment.org
Pollinating Pet Jude Tonkin 7.50) Code T350 2003 22 pages A4 paperback £5 (€7 A children's book about the red mason bee or 'pollinating pet' of the title. Colour cartoons accompany the 'conversation' between a little girl who is eating an apple and a red mason bee busy pollinating in the girl's garden. An explanation of how pollination takes place and the importance of the bees' role encourages the girl to ask her mum for a pollinating pet. She would like a nesting kit like the one described in BfDJ 66. The book is aimed at children of 7-8 years. Other pollinating pet publications Video: The story of the red mason bee Osmia rufa - pollination partners (reviewed in BfDJ 66) £11.95 (€17.95) Code VID26 Book: The red mason bee - taking the sting out of beekeeping (see BfDJ 59) £5.70 (€8.60) Code O155
The Apimondia Dictionary of Beekeeping Terms on CD and reviewed in BfDJ 69 is £16.80 (€25.20) Code VID27
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APIACTA
For the beekeeper and bee scientist Apiacta the Apimondia Journal. 2003 and 2005 editions available to download from www.apimondia.org SAY OR SELL: BfD Journal offers a great opportunity to contact thousands of readers in over 100 countries. Quarter page advertisements £65; full page £200; Notice Board items £0.50 per word. Other sizes available - contact us - details page 15. Enclosures also accepted. Charges subject to VAT in EC countries
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Fourth Caribbean Beekeeping Congress Hosted by The Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources in collaboration with the Beekeeping Community of Trinidad and Tobago Under the auspices of the Apimondia Standing Commission for Beekeeping for Rural Development Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago Further information Congress Secretariat Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources County St, George West Harris Street, Curepe Trinidad, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
14-18 November 2005
ADDING VALUE TO CARIBBEAN BEEKEEPING Call for papers and poster displays – Value added products – Pests and diseases – Globalisation and trade issues – Stingless bees – Caribbean country reports Deadline for abstracts: 30 May 2005 Deadline for submission of final papers: 15 August 2005
Phone +(868) 662 5127/1886 Fax
+(868) 662 3898 or (868) 645 9963
E-mail bees@agriculture.gov.tt Or
stgeorgewest@tstt.net.tt
APIMONDIA
ISSN 1477-6588
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Bees for Development
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