Bees/or Development Journal 90
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD AZERBAIJAN 80,000-100,000 tonnes
of honey are
produced in Azerbaijan per annum. There are
approximately 10,000 beekeepers, who have increased the number of bee colonies from
100,000
to
105,000
in the last few years.
Exhibitions in Baku organised by the Ministry 200 beekeepers
of Agriculture attract over
from aimost every region in the country.
Source: www.capital.trendaz.com
CAMEROON in
Bimbia Bonacikombo Forest Zone the
challenge has been to manage forest resources effectively for conservation and sustainable development. Beekeeping was adopted because it clearly generates income for livelihoods. Mount Cameroon Project/GTZ
GHANA
Ta
This is the Beekeeping and Honey Centre at Bimponso in the Twifo Hemang Lower Denkyira District in the Central Region. It was established by the District Beekeepers’ Association under the directorship of Richard Karikari, Gladys Mensah and Nana Yaw Adobah. A bigger centre is under construction at Twifo Praso, the District Capital. These projects are sponsored by contributions from 605 Association
ms
maeaR
af
members, although we are seeking additional sponsorship to equip both Centres. We aim to provide a base for honey trading and beekeeping research in the District.
Richard Kwame Karikari
identified Bonakanda-Bova Beefarmers Group to organise training workshops
sponsorship of Mrs Lilian Etomb: Quan, BOBEEFAG extended its activities to Bimbia by developing an apiary. BOBEEFAG will implement a ten month project with the
indigenous people, starting with a two day training workshop in February 2009. This workshop will bring together 50 participants and is sponsored by Limbé Ili Council-
Bimbia, Cameroon Development Corporation, and Limbé Botanic Garden. Each participant will return home with a top-bar hive. A major problem is lack of information on apiculture extension.
Lyonga Mbake Samuel, Delegate-BOBEEFAG
Fl Concern over honey harvest
INDIA Sangeeta Deol received training in apiculture
justified to pay high prices for the honey as they believed the product was authentic. He
and mushroom farming at Punjab Agricultural University in 1986. Sangeeta started
was worried about the repercussions of such sales, because many tourists visit the stalls.
beekeeping with 10 hives. Marketing honey was initially a problem. By 1995 her business had increased to 3,200 hives and she formed
the relevant ministry but has yet to receive a
a company to sell honey. She was the first woman to receive the Farmer of India Award.
Sakina Mohamed www.bernama.com
Sangeeta was also commended as Punjab’s leading bee farmer with a gold medal for agricultural diversification from Punjab Agricultural University and an award from the Kisan Club for honey production. She says
lack of marketing facilities for beekeepers disheartens her and excessive use of
insecticides and pesticides in Punjab and neighbouring states disappoints her.
Sent by Mahindu Kumar Soni, The Tribune, September 2008
Bee farmers have been advised to move their
hives to secure locations away from strong winds and flood prone areas. Farmers have been asked not to harvest honey over the next two months because this will exhaust the
bees and there will be no food left for them. Farmers have been advised to top up their hives with dry sugar feeds. "Last year, we produced about 700 tonnes of honey but in 2009 it is expected there will be a shortfall of more than 100 tonnes because many bees are dead and floral vegetation has been badly disturbed,” said Kamal Prasad, National
Co-ordinator for Agriculture. Over 200 hives are known to have been destroyed; this figure will rise because agriculture officers have not
yet reached some areas due to road blocks and flooding.
Riteshni Singh, Fiji Times online
MALAYSIA Several Orang Asli (indigenous people) have been unwittingly exploited to sell a syrupy
Professor Yusoff has forwarded his findings to response.
NIGERIA May 2008 was full of beekeeping in Ketu Area of Ogun State. Potential beekeepers were identified and trained in the use of top-bar hives and provided with information supplied by BFD Trust. We now have 25 new
beekeepers, and 18 have at least two tap-bar hives installed on their farms. 65% of the
hives are occupied and monitored by our team in the Bees Extension Education
Services (BEES). We plan to organise a beekeeping association in honour of Dr Eva Crane and hope to reach out to Ketu speakers in
Benin and Nigeria. Our next training
solution which is being passed off as honey
sessions are scheduled for April and July 2009. ELACODS Bee Farm bought a
at stalls in the Sungai Perak rest area. People were buying the amber-coloured solution,
motorcycle for use by BEES when visiting farmers and monitoring training in the area.
it is wild honey harvested by the Orang Asli. Universiti Malaya biochemist Kamaruddin Mohd Yusoff chanced upon the
thinking that
Elijah Akanni Asade. BEES. Elacorns Bee Farm, flaro Ei.USh ARAN: ASADE
(BOBEEFAG)
and develop sustainable bee farms within the tropical region of Mount Cameroon. With the
scam after testing samples of the ‘honey’ from the stalls intending to analyse the properties of wild honey harvested by the Orang Asli. Instead, he found it to be syrup that had been chemically treated to mimic the physical properties of honey. When he asked
the Orang As/i people for an explanation he was told that someone had asked them to sell the product. He said visitors often felt
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