News around the World

CAMEROON

A one-day workshop organised by the Fako Chapter of South West Bee Farmers Union was held in February at the Regional Delegation of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, Buea. The 2009 Annual Report revealed that honey was sold to the Chapter by its members at FCFA2,000 (USD4; €3). The Chapter sells honey for FCFA2,500 (USD5; €4). Within the harvest period 180 litres of honey were sold. Two of the reported difficulties were:

a. Supply of poor quality honey

b. Members selling honey outside the Co-operative (estimated at 210 litres in 2009).

Future objectives include improving honey quality and marketing - thus enhancing the livelihoods of SOWEBEFU members, increasing honey production from 390 to 980 litres, and increasing top-bar hive numbers from 156 to 336. Resources provided by Bf D Trust will be kept in the SOWEBEFU office and copies of BfD Journal were distributed to workshop participants.

Participants of the South West Bee Farmers Union Workshop receive resources

PHOTO © AWUDU NGUTTE

Awudu Ngutte, Minepia, Buea, SWP

ZAMBIA

Getting started with beekeeping at a household level was a three day training event organised by me and my assistant, Mr Mosty Hamoonga. The aim of the event was to integrate beekeeping into farming activities to enhance income and lessen rural poverty. We received a resource box from Bf D Trust: colour pictures from copies of BfDJ were used as visual aids and we consolidated our own text with extracts taken from the Journal.

Participants of the training event held at Kamaila School and Forestry Station

PHOTO © JAMES CHANDA

James Chanda, Forestry Officer, Kamaila Forestry Station, Lusaka

NIGERIA

Beekeeping Extension Society (BES) is a voluntary organisation. We received a grant of USD4,962 (€3,556) from the FAO 1% for Development Fund* for the development of beekeeping and conservation of bees and the environment. Between 2001 and 2010, total funding received by BES has reached USD130,000 (€93,170). More than 10 overseas beekeeping volunteers have been welcomed and currently BES is collaborating with seven international organisations.

Shika Beekeeping Group

PHOTO © IDRIS BARAU

Idris Barau, BES, Shika

* see Notice Board on page 15

Varroa in tropical Africa

I support BfDJ 96 (page 2): ”the worst thing that African beekeepers can do is to begin using chemicals in their colonies... Varroa tolerant colonies will not have the opportunity to be identified.” From our accumulated field experience working with African honey bees in Nigeria I would like to point out:

1. Our bees have natural potential to resist, overcome or tolerate any abnormal condition or pest, if managed naturally.

2. Details of how Mike Ukattah manages his colonies are needed to provide natural solutions to the problem – he should contact me.

3. Our bees use propolis - a natural antibiotic - to seal the respiratory tracts of many pests in their nests and will sting predators to death and embalm them with propolis, thus assisting the beekeeper to remove them.

Christian C Akpoke, Nigeria