Beekeeping model at Quang Da Agricultural Service Cooperative, Xuan Binh commune (Nhu Xuan district).
Xuan Binh commune boasts a rich ecosystem, favorable climate, and a relatively high proportion of forest and fruit tree land. These are the inherent potentials and advantages that local households can utilize to develop beekeeping for honey production. With nearly 30 years of experience in beekeeping and owning almost 200 bee colonies, Mr. Vo Minh Tam from Hamlet 12 has a thorough understanding of the process. Mr. Tam stated: “The hilly terrain of Xuan Binh commune has suitable geographical and climatic conditions for beekeeping. These creatures form tightly organized colonies and are extremely sensitive to environmental changes such as weather, light, and temperature. Therefore, beekeepers need to understand the characteristics of bees and apply appropriate measures to protect them from cold and heat. At the same time, maintaining clean and dry beehives is crucial. Only then will the bee colonies be healthy and produce high-quality honey.”
It is known that since 2022, Mr. Tam, along with several beekeeping households in the commune, established the Quang Da Agricultural Service Cooperative with 24 members. From its inception, the cooperative has focused on building the brand of Quang Da honey to enhance its competitiveness in the market. In 2023, Quang Da honey was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product. To build and maintain the brand and improve the quality of local honey, Mr. Tam and the members regularly update their knowledge and apply advanced scientific and technical methods to the beekeeping and honey harvesting process. They pay attention to every step, from selecting bee breeds and caring for the colonies to the harvesting and preservation process, ensuring the product always meets the highest quality standards. In addition, the cooperative actively participates in trade fairs and conferences to introduce and promote its honey. Currently, the cooperative's revenue reaches 3 to 3.5 billion VND per year; the average income of its employees is 5 to 7 million VND per month. The average household income of member members ranges from 10 to 12 million VND per month...
Binh Luong commune is also one of the localities with a clean climate, with a large area of forest cover and diverse flora suitable for the effective development of beekeeping for honey production. The entire commune has more than 50 households engaged in this profession, raising approximately 1,400 bee colonies, yielding an average of 2,000 to 2,500 liters of honey annually. To ensure a market for the product, Binh Luong commune has established the Hop Thanh Cooperative to link with companies and businesses to purchase the products of its beekeeping members.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Quy, from Gio village, currently raises over 100 bee colonies, producing an average of 500 to 600 liters of honey per year. Currently, his family's honey production is guaranteed by the cooperative, which has signed contracts with businesses, so all the honey produced is sold immediately. Mr. Quy said: “Beekeeping for honey production doesn't require a large investment, however, the care process demands patience, meticulousness, and a thorough understanding of bee characteristics to provide appropriate care at each stage and season. Good honey should be light yellow, shimmering, with a subtly sweet taste, not overly sweet like sugar, and have the natural aroma of pollen. Therefore, beekeepers must understand the flowering process of different plant species, selecting flowers with high nutritional value and good nectar production for the bees to collect nectar from.”
Since 2021, Nhu Xuan district has encouraged the establishment of agricultural cooperatives. Through these cooperatives, beekeeping households receive training, exchange, and support on beekeeping and honey harvesting techniques, develop products with the distinctive characteristics of natural honey, and contribute to the formation of a production chain that ensures food safety and hygiene standards.
To date, Nhu Xuan district has more than 5,000 bee colonies, concentrated mainly in Binh Luong, Xuan Binh, and Hoa Quy communes. Nhu Xuan honey is gradually asserting its position in the market, becoming a brand loved and trusted by consumers. Beekeeping for honey production has become an effective and sustainable economic development model for hundreds of households in the district. Besides the value of honey, beekeeping also brings ecological benefits such as pollinating crops, increasing productivity and product quality, and protecting the biodiversity of the natural environment.
Text and photos: Luong Khanh
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/phat-trien-nghe-nbsp-nuoi-ong-mat-252591.htm
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