Mustard boon for beekeepers

Beekeeping or apiculture got a huge boost in the country this winter with 7,000 bee colonies being set up in the mustard fields of Tangail. Not only are the beekeepers expecting a bounty, the mustard crop has seen a 15–20 per cent rise in yield thanks to pollination.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), mustard was cultivated on 28,006 hectares in 12 upazilas of the district this season. The target was 38,000 hectares. But due to prolonged floods and heavy rain, along with dense fog, the farmers fell short by 10,000 hectares. Yet, they are expecting a bumper yield, all because of the effect of pollination.

A few hundred residents of Tangail and other districts are now engaged in commercial and scientific beekeeping. Mouchash Unnayan Sangstha (MUS), an NGO, took the initiative to develop the trade in the area.

In association with the Apiculture Institute of Bangladesh, MUS started training local unemployed youths in beekeeping at Madhupur in Tangail in 1990. The trade being profitable, it became popular quite soon. Afterwards, it was extended to other upazilas and districts.

Many beekeepers have now started rearing the hybrid species Apis mellifera instead of the local Apis cerana to enhance honey production. They can now harvest honey round the year. An enormous amount of honey can be collected from the mustard flower during December, January, and February. In March, April, and May, honey can be produced from the flowers of mango, litchi, sesame, linseed, and sal.

Dulal Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Mouchash Kalyan Samity and a resident of Terilla village in Bhuapur upazila, told this correspondent that he rears 250 boxes of honeybees.

He expects to harvest 60 maunds of honey during this mustard season.

He narrated his schedule for six months, “Once the mustard farming ends, I shift the bee colonies to the banana orchards and coriander fields at Shibchar in Madaripur district. In February, I take these to the Dinajpur litchi orchards, and in March, to the Sundarbans.

In April, I take them to the sesame fields in Panchagarh, and then, close to Bhuapur.”  He expects to earn about Tk. 15 lakh in six months from honey cultivation.

Rasedul Alam of Tangail Sadar had set up 115 honeybee boxes in the mustard fields of Gala village this year. He harvested 460 kg of honey in a week.

In the past, the mustard farmers did not allow the beekeepers to set up the honeybee boxes in their fields. But DAE officials advised them to allow the bees. Abdur Razzaque, the deputy director of DAE in Tangail, said that 15–20 per cent additional mustard crops will be grown this year due to pollination.

Arif Hossain, the agriculture officer of Tangail Sadar upazila, explained that bees are the best tools of pollination. So, the bees help both the beekeepers and the mustard farmers to make a profit.

The director of MUS, freedom fighter Abul Hossain, said that Dabur, a multinational company of India, has been buying honey from them since 2014. The company will buy honey this year at Tk. 6,000 per mound. Most of this will be from Tangail.

They expect about 1,500 maunds of honey to be produced in Tangail this year.

Honey is cheaper in Bangladesh than in India. India also imports honey from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Kuwait, and Lebanon.

An MUS executive said that India and many other countries have set up modern honey-processing industries. A lot of sugar can be extracted from honey. But Tangail has no honey-processing centre. The beekeepers said many companies producing Ayurvedic and homoeopathic drugs and other goods import honey.

Yet, a huge amount of honey produced at home goes unsold.

The beekeepers sell honey at Tk. 200–300 per kg, which is very cheap.

Farmer Arif Hossain of Bhutia village in Gopalpur upazila told this correspondent that he has been rearing bees on a commercial basis for nine years. He said beekeeping does not involve much expenditure.

Only about Tk. 3,000–4,000 is needed to maintain a modern colony. An active individual can maintain 60 to 70 colonies a year. He feels apiculture can help alleviate unemployment and poverty.

Jalal Uddin Mia, president of Madhupur Beekeeping Samity, said the honey produced by the bee colonies using modern technology has the same flavour, taste, and quality as wild honey. Honey has much nutritional value and it is used as a medicine to treat many chronic diseases.

 He urged NGOs and the government to try to give a boost to marketing and processing, and preserve the trade of beekeeping.

 

Mustard boon for beekeepers

Beekeeping or apiculture got a huge boost in the country this winter with 7,000 bee colonies being set up in the mustard fields of Tangail. Not only are the beekeepers expecting a bounty, the mustard crop has seen a 1520 per cent rise in yield thanks to pollination. According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), mustard was cultivated on 28,006 hectares in 12 upazilas of the district this season. The target was 38,000 hectares. But due to prolonged floods and heavy rain, along with dense fog, the farmers fell short by 10,000 hectares. Yet, they are expecting a bumper yield, all because of the effect of pollination. A few hundred residents of Tangail and other districts are now engaged in commercial and scientific beekeeping. Mouchash Unnayan Sangstha (MUS), an NGO, took the initiative to develop the trade in the area. In association with the Apiculture Institute of Bangladesh, MUS started training local unemployed youths in beekeeping at Madhupur in Tangail in 1990. The trade being profitable, it became popular quite soon. Afterwards, it was extended to other upazilas and districts. Many beekeepers have now started rearing the hybrid species Apis mellifera instead of the local Apis cerana to enhance honey production. They can now harvest honey round the year. An enormous amount of honey can be collected from the mustard flower during December, January, and February. In March, April, and May, honey can be produced from the flowers of mango, litchi, sesame, linseed, and sal. Dulal Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Mouchash Kalyan Samity and a resident of Terilla village in Bhuapur upazila, told this correspondent that he rears 250 boxes of honeybees. He expects to harvest 60 maunds of honey during this mustard season. He narrated his schedule for six months, Once the mustard farming ends, I shift the bee colonies to the banana orchards and coriander fields at Shibchar in Madaripur district. In February, I take these to the Dinajpur litchi orchards, and in March, to the Sundarbans. In April, I take them to the sesame fields in Panchagarh, and then, close to Bhuapur. He expects to earn about Tk. 15 lakh in six months from honey cultivation. Rasedul Alam of Tangail Sadar had set up 115 honeybee boxes in the mustard fields of Gala village this year. He harvested 460 kg of honey in a week. In the past, the mustard farmers did not allow the beekeepers to set up the honeybee boxes in their fields. But DAE officials advised them to allow the bees. Abdur Razzaque, the deputy director of DAE in Tangail, said that 1520 per cent additional mustard crops will be grown this year due to pollination. Arif Hossain, the agriculture officer of Tangail Sadar upazila, explained that bees are the best tools of pollination. So, the bees help both the beekeepers and the mustard farmers to make a profit. The director of MUS, freedom fighter Abul Hossain, said that Dabur, a multinational company of India, has been buying honey from them since 2014. The company will buy honey this year at Tk. 6,000 per mound. Most of this will be from Tangail. They expect about 1,500 maunds of honey to be produced in Tangail this year. Honey is cheaper in Bangladesh than in India. India also imports honey from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Kuwait, and Lebanon. An MUS executive said that India and many other countries have set up modern honey-processing industries. A lot of sugar can be extracted from honey. But Tangail has no honey-processing centre. The beekeepers said many companies producing Ayurvedic and homoeopathic drugs and other goods import honey. Yet, a huge amount of honey produced at home goes unsold. The beekeepers sell honey at Tk. 200300 per kg, which is very cheap. Farmer Arif Hossain of Bhutia village in Gopalpur upazila told this correspondent that he has been rearing bees on a commercial basis for nine years. He said beekeeping does not involve much expenditure. Only about Tk. 3,0004,000 is needed to maintain a modern colony. An active individual can maintain 60 to 70 colonies a year. He feels apiculture can help alleviate unemployment and poverty. Jalal Uddin Mia, president of Madhupur Beekeeping Samity, said the honey produced by the bee colonies using modern technology has the same flavour, taste, and quality as wild honey. Honey has much nutritional value and it is used as a medicine to treat many chronic diseases. He urged NGOs and the government to try to give a boost to marketing and processing, and preserve the trade of beekeeping.