The Nation, 10/14/2015
Bee keeping is a sustainable income generation business to farmers. It offers invaluable nutrition as honey, protein and other byproducts. But there are money spinning opportunities from the herbal use of bees, DANIEL ESSIET reports.
Chief Executive,Centre for Bee Research and Development, Oyo State, Bidemi Ojeleye, is one of the biggest producers of quality honey and honey products in Oyo State.
He owns about 4000 hives. If his income from the business blossomed, he might not be consider other ventures, he said.
But this expectation depends on one factor: the quality of his harvest.
Breeding queen bees for sale and bee-keeping training courses have also provided extra income for the business. Oyeleye provides training in bee-keeping and assists agro entrepreneurs in developing organisations and management skills, basic record-keeping, and farm economics competency in honey business.
Based in Igbeti, Oyo State, his honeybee ambition has grown into a fully-fledged farming enterprise. It is among the top honeybee firms in the country.
Ojeleye said honeybees can make a significant contribution to agriculture through the critical roles they perform in producing honey, pollinating vegetables and fruit orchards.
Apiculture is the art of beekeeping. It has provided many entrepreneurs business opportunities. He has taken all components of apiculture, including scientific colony management, bee breeding, bee pathology, bee products, bee flora, value-addition and bee equipment.
He is keen to see more farmers maximise their potential of bee-keeping to provide income for their families and contribute to rural development.
According to him, the industry produces honey, wax and pollen. Few people, he claimed, are making money from selling honey for medicinal products. His training enables people to harvest and process bee products, such as royal jelly, propolis, and bee venom. These products are safe and organic...
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