Bees/or Development Journal 84
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD CAMEROON Apicuiture in Mount Cameroon Region Bonakanda-Bova Beefarmers’ Group {BOBEEFAG) is Common Initiative Group located in the Mount Cameroon Region a
(MCR), an ecotourism area rich
in biodiversity, South West Province. The Region hosts 77 villages and covers 3,200 km2, stretching from in
the Atlantic Ocean to Mount Cameroon, at 4,095 m the highest peak in West and Central
Africa with an active volcano. The rich volcanic soil is very good for agricultural activities and supports wide biodiversity. The Mount Cameroon Project and German Agency for Technical Cooperation MCP/GTZ identified BOBEEFAG as a resource group that could provide services to other groups and individual honey hunters around Mount
Cameroon. After MCP closed their doors some years ago, GTZ took over sponsorship of BOBEEFAG during national and international events. Participation in these events helps us interact with business partners, create
acquaintances, and increase awareness of the
importance of bees and beekeeping. At the Limbé Atlantic Trade Fair in 2006, BOBEEFAG
to construct one. It is not a hive that produces
had a stall exhibiting honey, other bee products, local style and frame hives, tools
the honey but the bees found inside it. Swarming periods and the bee population vary according to climatic conditions. Studies have
used in beekeeping and bee friendly plants. Posters provided by Bees for Development
proved that in MCR, a top-bar hive measuring 80 x 45cm, with an active colony produces
were used in our display.
10-12 litres of honey per crop season. By
During the Fair, the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), PECTEN, Bees Abroad and
comparison in North West Province 18-20 litres of honey may be harvested from the same size top-bar hive.
Tropical Forest Products organised a Honey Marketing Forum. The 3-day Forum was for all
stakeholders in the honey chain to exchange ideas. The national honey market is perceived as vague and disorganised: the various actors in the chain are not known to each other and
All our attempts to acquire beekeeping equipment from national and international organisations have failed. However the potential for honey production and success in
information is not flowing efficiently between them. For example while producers in the
beekeeping development projects are high. BOBEEFAG is calling on interested organisations to support us.
North West struggle to sell enough honey, retailers and wholesalers in the South West are
Lyonga Mbake Samuel, BOBEEFAG, Bota-Limbé
struggling to meet loca! demand. The regional export market remains largely unexploited, mainly because the requirements of quantity
HAITI
and quality are not met. It
is easier and cheaper to colonise a hive than
World Challenge Finalists The Paradis des Indiens Project has been chosen as one of the 12 finalists in the World
Challenge 2007. The Project was begun in a one roam school in the small village of Les Abricots by Canadian Michaelle de Verteuil. She set up the school especially for children
INDIA
whose families could not afford uniforms and —
shoes without which they were unable to attend Haiti's ordinary schools. Thirty years later, Paradis de Indiens has expanded into a multi-faceted development programme. Poverty reduction activities include beekeeping, embroidery, woodworking and fruit drying. Environmental efforts are focussed on reforestation
—
a key priority for tree-stripped
Haiti.
World Challenge 2007 seeks out projects and businesses that not only make a profit, but also put something back into the community. From 6 October to 16 November 2007 all finalists will be on their website for you to vote.
See
www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/
NEPAL Another type of beekeepin These bees are very small
Gandaki Bee Concern
in size and rarely sting. The bees sit in the branches of small trees. We can cut the branch and hang it near our house using strong thread. We harvest honey twice a year. The bees store the honey only on the top portion of the comb. One colony of bees will
The idea of starting a beekeeping business came to Dev Bahadur Gurung, Executive Director of Gandaki Bee Concern when he was in the Indian army and deployed in Punjab in
1977. “Frame hive technology had just been introduced and was fascinated by the way it |
PHOTOS
produce 1-1.5 kg of honey.
Ravi Shankar, Karnataka, India
The ‘little honey bee’ Apis florea can be found from Oman, spreading south-east through Asia as far as some of the islands of Indonesia. Apis florea has been introduced by humans to Iraq and Sudan. A colony comprises about 20,000 bees that build a small, single comb nest, usually
10-25 cm wide.
generated self-employment opportunities. Immediately after retired and returned to Nepal |
1991, jumped into the business. At that time only four firms were in existence and the conceot of frame hive beekeeping was still new. in
|
Despite my intentions to start with 150 hives, could manage only 17 hives in the beginning”. |
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