A beekeeping program that has helped residents of Occidental Mindoro will expand nationwide to stimulate the honey production industry, the Department of Agriculture said.
According to Usec. Deogracias Victor B. Savellano, the DA will look into funding for the beekeeping expansion, which will be supervised by the Bureau of Animal Industry.
“Beekeeping is a high-value farm sector. It has export potential given an organized national program to develop it,” Savellano said.
The potential expansion stemmed from the fact that Philippine honeybee breeds are simple to raise.
Outdoing the initial target
The original goal of the program was to teach local Mangyan tribesmen in Victoria, Occidental Mindoro modern business techniques while also assisting them in earning a living.
But the project has become so successful that it has rallied the DA to replicate the initiative throughout the country and meet the demand for premium honey abroad.
The DA tapped the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) to draft a plan for exploring export markets while maintaining a community-driven approach..
Among the target markets for their honey production is the United Kingdom, as the British royal family has shown itself to be a passionate importer of the golden nectar.
National training on beekeeping
UPLB's bee program has also been named a National Training Center for beekeeping by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Beekeeping, bee colony management, and bee pasture development are the topics of instruction.
The training program includes bee pasture and sanctuary establishment in an agroecosystem, as well as low-cost bee-rearing technologies.
In the Asia Pacific Area, the UPLB Bee Program also contributes to the development of standards for tropical honey and beekeeping techniques.
UPLB also leads in the use of stingless bees for pollination, gathering honey, pollen, and propolis, propagating stingless bees using coconut shells, and collecting honey from enormous honeybees.
Honey’s benefits
While being a valuable food commodity, honey is a raw ingredient for goods like organic shampoo, massage oils, antibacterial soaps, and lip balm, all of which are highly valued overseas.
Honeybees can also create a wide range of byproducts in addition to honey, such as propolis, bee bread, bee pollen, royal jelly, and beeswax.
