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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jun 5, 2011 12:51:14 GMT 1
A floral calendar for beekeeping is a time-table that indicates to the beekeeper the approximate date and duration of the blossoming periods of the important honey and pollen plants in his or her local area. The experienced beekeeper will have acquired much of this information over the years but in Africa this type of documented information is difficult to come by. As a new beekeeper you will more than likely have to rely on yourself to document this information. As a starting point you can consult experienced beekeepers (including traditional beekeepers) in your area and your local government extension service for assistance. The information could be known locally but may not be written down. To complicate the matter vegetation and climate vary over short distances (in Kenya at least) so you really have to work out your own calendar. It is highly unlikely that someone has already done it for your area. The floral calendar is very useful for the beekeeper. It enables him/her to know when to expect flowering and subsequent harvesting of honey. It will also allow the beekeeper to know when to carry out bee management tasks such as preparing colonies for the nectar flow, hunger periods etc. Assembling a floral calendar for any specific area is simple but time-consuming. It requires observation of the seasonal changes in the vegetation patterns and the foraging behaviour of the bees, and the manner in which the honeybee colonies interact with their floral environment. The accuracy of a floral calendar, and hence its practical value, depend solely on the careful recording of the beginning and end of the flowering season of the plants and how they affect the bees. The preparation of an accurate, detailed calendar will therefore often require several years of repeated recording and refinement of the information obtained. The steps normally taken in building up a floral calendar are as follows: 1. The beekeeper makes a general survey of the area, drawing up a list of flowering plants found, special attention being paid to plants with a high floral population density per unit area or per tree. 2. He/she places several strong honeybee colonies in the area, inspecting the hives regularly and observing changes in the amount of food stored within the hive to determine whether it is depleted, stable or increasing. Any food gains or losses can be monitored accurately by weighing the hives. If possible one of the hives can be set up as a scale hive (on a weighing scale). 3. At the same time that he/she monitors the hives' food stores he/she surveys areas in the vicinity of the apiary and within the flight range of the bees (approx 3km radious), to record the species of plants that the bees visit. 4. He/she determines whether the plants are visited for nectar or for pollen. Pollen-foragers will have pollen pellets attached to their hind legs. To determine whether the bees visit flowers for nectar the observer squeezes the abdomen of individual bees to obtain a drop of regurgitated nectar, tasting it for sweetness or measuring the nectar concentration with a hand refractometer. 5. He/she studies the frequency with which the bees visit each flower species, in relation to changes in the level of the colonies' food stores. If there is a continuous increase in food stores, in direct response to the availability of the plants visited, the plants are good forage sources. When the food stores remain stable, the plants can be depended upon to meet the colonies' daily food requirements, but they cannot be classified as major honey sources. 6. He/she carefully records all the changes in the blossoming of the plants visited. When the colonies begin to lose weight, the flowering season is finished for all practical purposes. 7. In Africa you need to record the weather conditions. When do the rains/dry seasons begin and end. How do these seasons relate to the flowering of the bee plants? You should also make notes of bee behaviour relating to your calendar. When do bee colonies migrate into your area? When do your bee colonies swarm? When do colonies abscond (if any)? Try and understand this information on bee behaviour in relation to your floral calendar. The information contained in your floral calendar, refined over years of observation, will assist you to become a very good beekeeper allowing you to fine tune your bee colony management increasing your yields of honey. The information in your floral calendar could assist other beekeepers in your area/country. Please email your calendar to: beekeepinginnigeria@gmail.com for publication and share the knowledge! Source: www.fao.org/docrep/x0083e/X0083E04.htmAttachments:
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on May 1, 2011 13:03:41 GMT 1
BY: Akpoke, Chiegele C. Ebonyi State ADP, NIGERIA – Nigerians are in the habit of over-flooding some areas of Agriculture thereby competing for the available inputs and increasing the price of labour needed in such areas while other areas that require only initial capital investment and labour are being ignored or kept dormant. Apiculture indeed is one of the fields of Agriculture that has not been given due recognition in Nigeria whereas developed countries like USA and China which control the world food production do so by practicng Apiculture. Oh! Yes the practice of Apiculture is not far from the secret of these countries but this has not been identified in Nigeria. According to the United States Honeybee research unit, the value of crops that require pollination by honeybees in the United State alone is estimated to be around $24 billion each year and commercial bee pollination was valued around $10 annually, where income from honey and beeswax is valued at $500 million annually. Apiculture is an applied science of rearing honeybees for man’s economic benefits. In Nigeria, apiculture represents one of the UNTAPPED NATURAL RESOURCES, hence there is no record of any scientific approach by farmers to rear bees. Occasionally, honey hunters are seen in remote villages of the nation where they harvest the honey stored up by wild honeybees in hollow trees and shrubs, underground and other conducive natural space. As they do so, flames of fire are used to kill the innocent bees and their honey while their habitats are totally destroyed. The result of this hunting is adulteration, and unhealthy honey which cannot store up for a long period of time but rather ferment easily. In contrast to this hunting, honeybees can be encouraged to live in a container called hive through the practice of Apiculture. By so doing, obtaining honey and other bee products become easier and more convenient whereas these products become natural and save for human consumption. Indeed, this modern practice of beekeeping called Apiculture is not difficult to come by.In fact, some farmers like the first Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu and institutions like Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu have been practicing Apicultre, where they obtain Natural pure honey and other hidden bee products. Unlike many other aspect of Agriculture which are more obviously visible because they occupy large expanse of land, Apiculture is not easily noticeable as it could be practiced on a small portion of land or land that is not good for other crops. The experience of Apiculturists(Bee farmers) in developed countries shows that commercial Apiculture is a money spinner. This is an enterprise that requires only initial capital investment with little or no minimal running cost as it does not require feeding(with the rich vegetation in Nigeria) and does not compete with other aspects of Agriculture. What is more, pollination, honey, beeswax production and honeybees also produce other natural products called pollen, propolis, royal jelly and bee venom which are playing increasing role in Nutrition, industries and medicine for the wellbeing of humanity. Bees are gentle as the lamb or kitten when their nature is carefully studied and when one goes about it in the right way. The danger and un-pleasantries of the bee sting is greatly over-emphasized by the lay man. Who always lables the innocent honeybees a dangerous insect. Indeed these natural products- Honey, pollen, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly and others are really free ‘Gold’ in Nigeria which needs to be tapped. Source: www.shout-africa.com/business/nigeria-beekeeping-the-untapped-agricultural-gold-in-nigeria/
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Apr 27, 2011 1:32:22 GMT 1
Researchers say the Government’s efforts at reducing poverty in the country especially in the rural areas could be given a boost if apiculture or beekeeping were taken as a serious venture. Not many people know that honey, which is the main product of beekeeping, has other by-products some of which are vital inputs in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Besides those, beeswax, a major by-product of honey making is also used by textile industries as a major raw material, and for candles and polishes too. Royal jelly or “bee milk”, a highly nutritious mixture produced by bees is used in making jelly chocolate candy and wine, lotions and tonics for therapeutic use. That is beekeeping for you. Its ‘flagship’ product, honey, as food, requires no further processing, it is very nutritious and nature’s substitute for refined sugar. The Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), Eastern Portfolio, as an input into poverty reduction programmes in Ghana commissioned a study into its viability and funded a forum to discuss its findings. The idea, according to the organizers was to lay bare that industry’s economic viability. The Business Consultancy and Research Unit of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College, which did the baseline survey confirmed beekeeping was a huge area that needed exploitation. For example, that study indicated that beeswax has over 120 industrial uses with ready markets in Ghana and abroad. It referred to another study by Addaquay in (2006), which claimed that export orders for honey, through the Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC), in the range of 1,000 tonnes per annum, could not be met. Further, about 30 tonnes of honey was imported into the country annually by supermarkets. That should not be happening when Ghana has the capacity to produce sufficient honey for the local market and for export. Beekeeping and honey production could provide self-employment and reliable higher incomes if adequately supported to develop. Currently, a gallon of honey is selling at between GH¢30.00 and GH¢40.00 in the Volta Region. According to experts in the industry, beekeeping is cost effective and not strenuous, requiring the use of relatively simple equipment. Risk and transactions cost in the honey business, they say, are even more manageable compared to many other commodities, especially those coming under the category of non-traditional exports. The study did an income analysis, which indicates that honey and its bi-products contributed to about 37 per cent of overall household income to families involved in the sector. Combined with the low entry barriers including start-up capital, the return on investment, honey business appears quite attractive as production cost, the experts say, can be covered at a level of output of 0.96 gallons per hive. By the study’s calculation, initial investment of GH¢300.00 would buy five beehives and other accessories and the investor could break even in the second year and yield a return of about 100 per cent by the end of the fourth year. That surely should tempt any creative businessman looking for money to want to try. But it appears the lack of knowledge about the benefits of the sector is keeping people away. At best what people do is to go into beekeeping not as a business but as a side issue to other economic activities, particularly farming. The business is big but numbers are low. For example, the total estimated number of beekeepers in eight districts in the Volta Region covered by the study is 800, showing an average of 100 beekeepers in each district. Findings are that though the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and several development organizations, including Heifer Project International, FORUM and SNV are providing support in terms of management and technical training, equipment supplies and funding to make the industry attractive, the response remains low. Constraints identified so far for the business of beekeeping are excessive bush burning, logging, and farming activities leading to reduction in nectar producing plants. Pests are also a problem, also indiscriminate and uninformed use of agro chemicals. Above all it appears the lack of a national policy on the sector is a huge drawback. It takes a lot of money and man hours and many visits to officialdom if a beekeeper is seeking certification from a regulatory body to put his honey on the market. Beekeepers need Government’s programmed push in getting the relevant skills for production and marketing of honey especially. Government should resource and build the capacity of MOFA field staff to enable them to introduce farmers to this lucrative venture. For them to undertake the advocacy role effectively, the producer associations must be strengthened in terms of institutional capacity, human resource and information management. Specific programmes with the ultimate goal of creating a viable and competitive honey industry must be the objective of all agencies in poverty reduction programmes. GNA Source: www.theghanaianjournal.com/2009/09/15/reducing-poverty-through-beekeeping/
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jan 14, 2011 20:36:54 GMT 1
1.Beekeeping as an activity offers great potential for development in almost all African countries.
2.It is easy and cheap to start, it can provide valuable food/medicine for the family and honey and beeswax are important cash crops with ready local market.
3.Beekeeping requires little land and therefore is an ideal activity for small scale resourceful-poor farmers.
4.Beekeeping also enhances the environment and increases crop yields through pollination.
5. Beekeeping gives local people an economic incentive for the retention of natural habitats such as forests and therefore is an ideal activity in any forest conservation programme.
6. Without a healthy honey bee population, successful fruit and vegetable production would be at risk.
7. Not only are bees intriguing, they are essential to the human food chain. Approximately 90 agricultural crops, one-third of global food production volume, are dependent on pollination, including almonds, apples, blueberries, coffee, melons and soybeans. Without bees to pollinate these crops, the food supply will dramatically decrease unless new ways are devised to do what bees do naturally.
8. No matter what your age, space or knowledge and experience, keeping bees is both a fascinating and rewarding hobby. It may require you to regularly set aside time if you are to be successful, but observing the lives of these amazing creatures and, of course, sampling that fresh, free honey will be worth every minute you put in.
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Aug 1, 2010 21:02:22 GMT 1
Beekeeping in NigeriaWritten By: Daniel Essiet of The Nation News Paper on 23/07/2010The Beekeeping industry is fast becoming a big money spinner. By all indications, the market is expected to be higher this year, going by simple supply-and-demand projections and price prospects. Projections are based on assumption of normal weather and strong domestic use of honey. But the industry is servicing a market that is not characterised by regulations on a number of issues. Following this, farmers in apiculture are facing the challenge of ensuring that everyone, from shoppers to food processors, get the best bees that offer high quality, healthy honey. Across the country also, honey laundering has become so rampant, following the inability of the government to launch a crackdown to curtail the practice. Many Nigerians have reported buying an unlabeled blend, adulterated with impossible-to-detect cheap sweeteners. Consumers walk away with the finest-tasting, highest-quality honey there is but adulterated. An apiculturist with the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Abia State, Mr. Victor Obi, said there is a challenge of keeping adulterated or contaminated honey from reaching the market. While there are huge prospects for those who want to go into beekeeping, Obi said the industry is confronting lack of knowledge to curb domestic tampering. Although he has no problem with identifying true honey, the hindrance presently is that there is no way to prosecute someone for adulteration of honey when the industry can’t define what honey is. Obi, who heads the Apiculture Unit, NRCRI, called for enforcement of standards to save the industry. "Bee hives products offer much more than can be desired in supporting life expectancy. The bee hive products include honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, bees wax and propolis all of which possess great potentials capable of promoting therapeutic, nutritional and economic values of Nigerians. Millions are not earned from cropping honey alone but from packaging colonies of bees sold to plantation farmers, for insect pollination of their crops for bumper harvest and development of fruits and seeds." According to him, the demand for bee hive products was on the increase due to education on their importance. "It is needed on the dining tables for use in place of industrial sugar as sweetener and for confec-tionaries too. Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries depend on honey for their production." Advising Nigerians to venture into beekeeping, Obi said, "it will not only ensure availability of pure honey in markets but will also increase crops yield through the pollinating activities of the honey bees and subsequent economic return to the farmer." The Managing Director, The Thy Consulting, Mr. Ismail Abdul Azeez, said adulteration of honey was a very wrong practice. He said honey merchants indulge in it to make quick money but that adulterated honey is a risk to the public. The problem is that the sellers don’t even sell the adulterated honey for a cheaper price. Azeez, who runs a honey farm, said instead of selling adulterated honey ,farmers should collaborate to meet supply targets, adding that he was in touch with the nation’s largest honey suppliers. Azeez, a trainer on beekeeping, said people have not realised the importance of the beekeeping industry, not just for honey production but for the scores of food crops that must be pollinated. With opportunities opening for pollination contracts, Azeez said there is need for strong healthy hives of bees. For him, one of the greatest services of bees to mankind is providing a service as pollinators to many plants. A lot of crops grown depend on insect pollination, performed primarily by the honeybee. Azeez is spearheading a move to foster the development of stronger associations and networks among beekeepers. He believes working together in organised groups through his online forum would help beekeepers to add value to their products, take advantage of technical assistance, and meet challenges in the future. "So far, tainted honey; seem not to be on the watch list of the National Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), going by the way the agency has been pursing other issues. The government has not carried out intense scrutiny of honey sold in the market." Many health practitioners consider honey a minor miracle drug. Most Nigerians, however, prefer native honey because they are not exposed to pesticides, fertilisers and pollutants. Source: thenationonlineng.net/web3/business/agriculture/6756.htmlAttachments:
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Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jun 12, 2010 1:52:31 GMT 1
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