Beekeeping is not just a hobby; it rakes in profits, tooCAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Beekeeping, once considered by many as a mere hobby, is now becoming one of the country’s most lucrative
businesses. Beekeeping in the Philippines then was considered a hobby but now it is a main source of livelihood, Epifanio Loyola Jr., a beekeeper based in Panabo, Davao del Norte, said. The number of beekeepers in the country considerably grew at least six times its number, from less than 50 in 1980 to about 300 today. And still counting, Loyola said, as he noted the number of participants who attended the basic training in beekeeping during the 8th Beenet Conference and Technofora at the Mangima Spring Resort in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon on September 6 to 8. Loyola, the first beekeeper in Mindanao, said more people are now interested in beekeeping as they can market not only honey but a lot of bee products such as pollen, wax, propolis or bee glue, and royal jelly. He said bees can also be used for pollination purposes to increase production of high-value crops and its venom is found to be very effective in treating rheumatism. “Before, only 20 percent of beekeepers were into it for business purposes and about 45 percent as hobbyists. But now, it’s quite different because they realize that beekeeping could bring in more profits,” he said. Loyola started keeping bees in 1980 through the prodding of a friend. With the help of the Rural Bank of Panabo, he bought two colonies at P2,700 each with the mated queen imported from Israel. After a few years, his colonies grew to about 400. One colony, which consists of a queen and about 3,000 to 5,000 workers, can produce an average of about four to 10 kilos of honey, he said. According to a research conducted by the Beekeepers Network Philippines Foundation Inc. (BNPFI), about 40 kilos of honey can be harvested per colony per year. But beekeepers in Davao del Norte can produce about 218 kilos per colony per year, Loyola said. “We can harvest about 300 to 600 kilos of honey in one month during good weather. Production of honey lessens during rainy season,” he said. From 1998 to 2000, the honey production of Southern Mindanao was pegged at 21 tons per year. Last year, beekeepers harvested 15.7 tons. In Davao, honey is sold at P130 per kilo, the lowest compared to others in Mindanao, Luzon and Visayas. Loyola explained this because the needed materials for beekeeping are readily available, unlike in other areas. In Cebu City, honey is sold at P300 per kilo while in Luzon, it is being sold at P200 to P250 per kilo. Honey, nature’s original sweetener as it contains a natural mixture of the simple sugars glucose and fructose, is being rediscovered as a natural source of energy. Recent studies suggest that this unique mixture of sugars works best in preventing fatigue and enhancing athletic performance. It also contains a wide array of vitamins such as B6, thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid; essential minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc; antioxidants and amino acids. Aside from honey, Loyola said beekeepers also earn big by selling pollen, bee propolis and wax and by allowing some companies to rent their bees for pollination purposes at P1,000 per colony. Bee propolis, which Loyola said is a “natural antibiotic,” is sold at P150 per 35-gram jar. It can be used to treat infections by mixing one teaspoon with water, as a substitute for ordinary drinking water. Wax, which is primarily used as an ingredient for cosmetic products, is sold at P800 per kilo. Wax is produced by melting the honeycomb of bees. Loyola said at an average, he can harvest about five kilos of pollen in a month, which he sells to other beekeepers in Luzon and Visayas at P600 to P750 per kilo. Pollen is said to be an energy booster because of its high-protein content and is believed to be an aphrodisiac. According to Dr. Cleo Cervancia, a professor at the Institute of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, the major role of bees in the environment is for pollination, which she said is much more important than honey and its other by-products. “The best value of keeping bees is really for pollination purposes. This is to increase the production of high-valued products such as mangosteen, pomelo, rambutan, tomatoes, citrus and others,” Cervancia said. Pollination is the fertilization of a flowering plant. It occurs when pollen is transferred from the anthers of a flower to the ovules of that of another flower. About one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants, and honeybees are responsible for 80 percent of this pollination. In Davao del Norte, Loyola said they introduced pollination because they are promoting high-valued crops like mango and other fruits. “Some companies rent our bees at P1,000 per colony for five days just for pollination purposes. But it is risky for us because we don’t know if those who rent them don’t use pesticides,” he said. Bees, he said, can increase production of crops and fruits. He said a customer who owns a mango plantation harvested 15 tons after renting bees, instead of his usual nine tons. “No fruit tree can produce more fruits without proper pollination. Cross-pollination happens because the bees transfer pollen from one flower to another,” he said. Nenita Tapay, associate professor at the Social Science Department of UPLB’s College of Arts and Sciences, said western countries keep bees purposely for pollination. “This is aside from poverty alleviation, because we all know that beekeeping is now a lucrative business,” Tapay said. Cervancia said there is a great future for beekeeping in the Philippines. “We can say that there is a great future for beekeeping because the demand for high quality honey is there, and will always be there. We only have to increase the number of beekeepers in the country for us to meet the demand of honey in the market,” she said. The Philippines is importing 300 tons of honey per year. Filipino beekeepers are only able to produce about 50 tons a year. Though the technology of beekeeping is not easy, it can be taught and learned through time, she said. “Beekeeping technology is not easy. It is not as easy as raising any other livestock but once you learn the skills, you’ll earn a fortune,” she said. Loyola said for a beekeeper to succeed, he only needs patience and perseverance. “Because once you’d learn the ABCs of beekeeping, good fortune will then be knocking on your doors. However, it is a must for you to really take good care of your bees, especially the queens,” he said. (Terry D.C. Betonio/MindaNews) |
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