Beekeeping in boxes around mustard fields gains ground in Tangail

Nearly 41,507 hectares of land have been brought under mustard farming in 12 Upazilas of Tangail district

Bee hives in mustard fields have gained ground in Tangail district in the current season. Many bee farmers are earning good profits from the trade. A few hundred beekeepers are in the business.

About 600 MTs of honey is produced in Tangail and the adjacent areas in a year. Farmers are hoping India will buy about 600 MTs of honey this year.

Beekeepers say that commercial and scientific beekeeping (apiculture) started in Madhupur under Tangail district with the help of the Apiculture Institute of Bangladesh in 1990. Mouchash Unnoyan Sangstha (MUS), an NGO, took the initiative to develop the trade.

The beekeepers were trained by MUS. Madhupur forest is a fertile ground for bee farming. The trade being profitable, many poor and unemployed youths got training from MUS and started beekeeping in a scientific way. Soon it became a popular trade as it helped alleviate poverty.

Later, beekeeping was extended to Tangail Sadar, Dhanbari, Gopalpur, Ghatail, Bhuapur, Mirzapur and some other areas of Tangail district. It has now been developed in the Sarisabari Upazila under Jamalpur district, and Muktagacha and Fulbaria Upazila of Mymensingh district as well.     

Now, farmers can harvest honey round the year. But large quantities of honey can be extracted during January and February, as bees collect nectar from mustard flowers. Honey can also be extracted in March, April and May, when bees can collect nectar from the flowers of mangoes, lichi, sesame, linseed and sal. Many farmers are keeping the ‘Apis Melifera’, a hybrid species, instead of ‘Apis Serenier’, a local variety, to increase honey production.

A source in the Department in Agriculture extension of Tangail said about 41,507 hectares of land have been brought under mustard farming in 12 Upazilas of the district. About 3,000 honey boxes have been set up in and around the fields.

The DAE has fixed a target of harvesting about 500 metric tonnes of honey. DAE sources said that mustard of both HYV and local varieties have been cultivated in the district. About 70-90 days are required to harvest the short-term crop.

One Motior Rahman from Shyamnagor upazila of Satkhira district has set up 100 boxes in Jogapara village under Kalihati upazila. He expects to harvest about 300 kg of honey from the mustard field.

Monirul Sardar and Monirul Islam of Satkhira set up 107 boxes in Gala village under Sadar Upazila. Abdur Rahman of the same village set up 20 boxes in Nagorpur Upazila. About 20 bee famers have come to Tangail for beekeeping in the mustard fields, it is learned.

Aminul Islam of village Sontosh under Sadar Upazila has set up 80 boxes in Katuli village.

Dulal Hossain, president of Bangladesh Mouchash Kollayan Samity and a resident of village Terilla under Bhuapur Upazila, told this correspondent that he has 250 boxes. He expects to harvest 60 maunds of honey during this mustard season.

He said, “After the end of the mustard season, the bee colonies will be shifted to Shibchar of Madaripur district, where there are banana and coriander fields.”

He will them migrate to the Dinajpur lichi orchard area in the month of February, the Sunderdban in the month of March, to Panchagarh sesame fields in April and then to Bhuapur. He expects to earn about Tk 15 lakh during the six months from honey farming.

Director of MUS, freedom fighter Abul Hossain, said Dabur, a multination company of India, bought 100 MT of honey in 2014. The company would buy 600 MT this year at Tk 5,500-6,000 per mound. The major amount would be bought from Tangail.

Bangladesh honey is cheaper than that of India. Honey worth over taka eight crore will be exported to India, said Hossain. Honey is also being exported to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Kuwait and Lebanon.

Jalal Uddin Mia, president of Madhupur Bee keeping Samity, said honey produced by bee colonies with modern technology had the same flavour, taste, quality and usefulness like the wild honey.

Deputy Director of DAE of Tangail Abdur Razzaque said, “Bees collect honey from flower to flower. Pollination is done easily. About 20 per cent additional mustard seed can be harvested by such bee farming in mustard fields. Both the mustard farmers and bee farmers are benefiting.”

 

Beekeeping in boxes around mustard fields gains ground in Tangail

Nearly 41,507 hectares of land have been brought under mustard farming in 12 Upazilas of Tangail district

Bee hives in mustard fields have gained ground in Tangail district in the current season. Many bee farmers are earning good profits from the trade. A few hundred beekeepers are in the business. About 600 MTs of honey is produced in Tangail and the adjacent areas in a year. Farmers are hoping India will buy about 600 MTs of honey this year. Beekeepers say that commercial and scientific beekeeping (apiculture) started in Madhupur under Tangail district with the help of the Apiculture Institute of Bangladesh in 1990. Mouchash Unnoyan Sangstha (MUS), an NGO, took the initiative to develop the trade. The beekeepers were trained by MUS. Madhupur forest is a fertile ground for bee farming. The trade being profitable, many poor and unemployed youths got training from MUS and started beekeeping in a scientific way. Soon it became a popular trade as it helped alleviate poverty. Later, beekeeping was extended to Tangail Sadar, Dhanbari, Gopalpur, Ghatail, Bhuapur, Mirzapur and some other areas of Tangail district. It has now been developed in the Sarisabari Upazila under Jamalpur district, and Muktagacha and Fulbaria Upazila of Mymensingh district as well. Now, farmers can harvest honey round the year. But large quantities of honey can be extracted during January and February, as bees collect nectar from mustard flowers. Honey can also be extracted in March, April and May, when bees can collect nectar from the flowers of mangoes, lichi, sesame, linseed and sal. Many farmers are keeping the Apis Melifera, a hybrid species, instead of Apis Serenier, a local variety, to increase honey production. A source in the Department in Agriculture extension of Tangail said about 41,507 hectares of land have been brought under mustard farming in 12 Upazilas of the district. About 3,000 honey boxes have been set up in and around the fields. The DAE has fixed a target of harvesting about 500 metric tonnes of honey. DAE sources said that mustard of both HYV and local varieties have been cultivated in the district. About 70-90 days are required to harvest the short-term crop. One Motior Rahman from Shyamnagor upazila of Satkhira district has set up 100 boxes in Jogapara village under Kalihati upazila. He expects to harvest about 300 kg of honey from the mustard field. Monirul Sardar and Monirul Islam of Satkhira set up 107 boxes in Gala village under Sadar Upazila. Abdur Rahman of the same village set up 20 boxes in Nagorpur Upazila. About 20 bee famers have come to Tangail for beekeeping in the mustard fields, it is learned. Aminul Islam of village Sontosh under Sadar Upazila has set up 80 boxes in Katuli village. Dulal Hossain, president of Bangladesh Mouchash Kollayan Samity and a resident of village Terilla under Bhuapur Upazila, told this correspondent that he has 250 boxes. He expects to harvest 60 maunds of honey during this mustard season. He said, After the end of the mustard season, the bee colonies will be shifted to Shibchar of Madaripur district, where there are banana and coriander fields. He will them migrate to the Dinajpur lichi orchard area in the month of February, the Sunderdban in the month of March, to Panchagarh sesame fields in April and then to Bhuapur. He expects to earn about Tk 15 lakh during the six months from honey farming. Director of MUS, freedom fighter Abul Hossain, said Dabur, a multination company of India, bought 100 MT of honey in 2014. The company would buy 600 MT this year at Tk 5,500-6,000 per mound. The major amount would be bought from Tangail. Bangladesh honey is cheaper than that of India. Honey worth over taka eight crore will be exported to India, said Hossain. Honey is also being exported to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, Kuwait and Lebanon. Jalal Uddin Mia, president of Madhupur Bee keeping Samity, said honey produced by bee colonies with modern technology had the same flavour, taste, quality and usefulness like the wild honey. Deputy Director of DAE of Tangail Abdur Razzaque said, Bees collect honey from flower to flower. Pollination is done easily. About 20 per cent additional mustard seed can be harvested by such bee farming in mustard fields. Both the mustard farmers and bee farmers are benefiting.