Under the jackfruit trees, Cao Ngoc Ha (born in 1982), from Hamlet 2, Kim Bang, Minh Hoa Commune, is quietly tending to his bee colonies. Equipped with professional protective gear, Mr. Ha carefully turns over each ash leaf on the beehives, checking that the honey level is sufficient for harvesting the next batch.
With nearly 8 years of experience in beekeeping, Mr. Ha shared: “Bees have a very strong social instinct and are sensitive to external factors such as weather, light, and temperature. Therefore, beekeepers not only need to care for them using proper techniques but also must truly ‘understand’ the bees, listening to every buzzing sound and every small movement in the hive. Only then will the bee colony be healthy and produce sweet, fragrant, and beautifully colored honey.”
Starting beekeeping in 2018, Mr. Ha invested all of his family's capital, enough to buy just 5 beehives, each costing 1 million VND. In the early days of bringing the bees home, he lost sleep and appetite, researching beekeeping techniques from books, newspapers, and social media. At that time, his family lived in an area frequently flooded from September to November, which greatly affected beekeeping; if not careful, the bees would get sick or leave. His diligence and hard work helped him successfully expand his colony, yielding over 30 liters of honey in the first year.
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In 2019, when he relocated to a new economic zone to avoid flooding, following the commune's policy, he brought his bee colonies to the backyard and planted fruit trees like jackfruit and guava to provide shade, continuing to expand his beekeeping operation. Mr. Ha also received support from the local government, including 5 additional beehives, and was given the opportunity to learn from beekeeping practices in Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces, which helped him become more professional in his beekeeping business. Currently, he has 42 bee colonies, bringing his family nearly 100 million VND annually.
For Mr. Dinh Minh Tuong, in Dang Hoa village, Hoa Son commune, his workday begins with meticulously caring for 50 beehives in his garden. He considers the bees his loyal companions, having been with him through countless honey seasons. To further motivate his successful beekeeping model, in 2024 he received support in the form of 10 additional beehives under a project to develop the economy of ethnic minority communities.
Mr. Tuong shared that Hoa Son's advantage lies in its large forest area and abundant wildflowers, which ensure the honey always has a fragrant aroma, a sweet taste, and a beautiful golden color. Last year, his family's bee colony produced nearly 400 liters of honey. With a selling price of approximately 200,000 VND per liter, his family earned nearly 80 million VND. In addition, he also breeds more bees, sells beekeeping equipment, creating additional stable income.
Besides Mr. Tuong's family, nearly 40 households in Hoa Son commune are currently engaged in beekeeping. Hoa Son has also established the Hoa Son Agricultural Cooperative, producing Hoa Son honey that has achieved OCOP 3-star quality.
Currently, Minh Hoa district has developed over 5,700 bee colonies, concentrated in the communes of Xuan Hoa, Trung Hoa, Hong Hoa, Hoa Hop, Hoa Son, etc. Each year, honey production reaches approximately 57,000 kg, with a production value exceeding 5.5 billion VND. The goal is to increase the total number of bee colonies to 7,000 by the end of 2025, with honey production exceeding 70,000 kg, contributing to the restructuring of the agricultural and rural economy in the district.
According to Mr. Dinh Tien Dung, Vice Chairman of the Minh Hoa District People's Committee, beekeeping for honey production has been providing a stable source of income, contributing to improving living standards and reducing poverty for people in the area, especially ethnic minority communities. Currently, localities are implementing various policies to support people in expanding their scale, increasing the value of their products, gradually building consumer trust, and establishing brand recognition in the market.
Xuan Phu
Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/kinh-te/202506/mua-mat-ngot-o-vung-cao-2227108/
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