The sweetness ignites the "dream of home".

From a few initial "experimental" bee colonies, by taking advantage of natural forests, hillside gardens, and orchards laden with flowers, many households in the province have boldly expanded their scale, gradually building a brand for their honey products in the market. Beekeeping for honey production is contributing to creating sustainable livelihoods, helping many families become more prosperous.

This is the beekeeping model of Mr. Duong Van Tu's family in Hamlet 2, Tien Trang Commune.

For over 20 years, Mr. Duong Van Tu in Hamlet 2, Tien Trang Commune, has dedicated most of his time to caring for his bees as if they were family members. Recalling how he came to beekeeping, Mr. Tu shared: “In 2002, during a visit to a honey beekeeping model in Phong Son town, Cam Thuy district (formerly), I was captivated by the distinctive fragrance of flowers blended with the golden color of honey. Upon further investigation, I realized that the area where my family lives has many similarities, with the advantage of spacious land, many trees, and being located right at the foot of Chet Mountain. Therefore, I started by buying two bee colonies to try raising them.”

With dedication and a thirst for knowledge, Mr. Tu invested in many books and visited various beekeeping models to learn about breeding and developing main bee colonies for honey production. He also proactively separated colonies and sold bee colonies to people in and outside the commune. According to Mr. Tu, beekeeping doesn't require a large capital investment, but it demands patience, carefulness, and appropriate care at each stage and season. To ensure healthy bee colonies that produce consistent, high-quality honey, beekeepers must regularly clean and inspect the beehives to keep them dry and well-ventilated; disease prevention and control are also crucial. During flowering seasons, beekeepers need to move the bees to areas with abundant flowering plants to provide them with raw materials for honey production.

In addition to mastering the techniques, Mr. Tu also applies modern equipment to production, such as water content reduction machines, yeast extermination, impurity separation, coarse filtration, and fine filtration... on a closed-loop production line, creating high-quality products for consumers.

Currently, his family owns over 200 bee colonies, harvesting nearly 2,000 liters of bee honey annually. With a selling price of 250,000 to 300,000 VND per liter, this brings in over 200 million VND in revenue after deducting expenses. Besides developing his family's economy , he actively shares his experience and provides technical support to other households who wish to learn, contributing to the spread of beekeeping in the local area.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Nguyen Van Nho in Hamlet 3, Xuan Du Commune, has been involved in the profession for 15 years and currently owns more than 200 bee colonies, harvesting about 1,500 liters of honey per year. Mr. Nho said that the locality has the advantage of hilly and forested land with many types of trees that bloom year-round, suitable for beekeeping. However, bees are highly social creatures and sensitive to external influences, so during the care process, beekeepers must truly "understand the nature" of bees, applying appropriate care methods in each season and each stage so that the bee colonies are healthy and produce quality honey.

Not only was Mr. Nho a pioneer in bringing beekeeping to the locality, but he also established the Phuong Xuan Agricultural Service Cooperative with several other households. To enhance competitiveness in the market, from the very beginning, the cooperative members have always prioritized trustworthiness to build their product brand. In 2020, Phuong Nghi honey was recognized as a 3-star OCOP product.

After the communes of Xuan Du, Phuong Nghi, and Can Khe merged to form Xuan Du commune, the former Phuong Xuan Agricultural Service Cooperative was transformed into the Xuan Du Agricultural and Service Cooperative. Currently, there are nearly 3,000 bee colonies in the commune, of which about 1,500 belong to households that are linked with the cooperative, which guarantees the purchase of their honey products. As Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Xuan Du Agricultural and Service Cooperative, Mr. Nho, along with the members, consistently focuses on every step, from selecting bee breeds and caring for the colonies to applying scientific and technical methods to beekeeping and honey harvesting, ensuring the highest quality products.

In addition, honey products are regularly displayed and introduced at trade fairs and exhibitions; distributed and sold in stores and supermarkets nationwide, and highly appreciated by consumers. Currently, the revenue of Xuan Du Agricultural and Service Cooperative reaches over 3 billion VND/year; the average income of workers is from 6 to 8 million VND/person/month; the average income of member households in the cooperative is 12 million VND/person/month...

Thanks to the efforts and perseverance of the people, along with the support of cooperatives, beekeeping in many localities in the province is gradually developing in a sustainable and stable direction. The "sweetness" in each drop of honey is not only the crystallization of floral fragrance, but also imbued with the sweat and hard work of the laborers, thereby contributing to improving and enhancing lives and creating a foundation for the prosperity of the homeland.

Text and photos: Trung Hieu

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/vi-ngot-thap-sang-uoc-mo-que-281567.htm