Bees for Development Journal
74
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
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