Profiling of the Beekeeping Industry: Status of Beekeeping in Region 1 and Cordillera Administrative Region
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Date
2022-12-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
DMMMSU
Abstract
Beekeeping is a viable agribusiness enterprise of small
scale farmers, and other rural and non-rural people.
Despite the many returns bees give including the
increasing
industry
stakeholders
and
trained
beekeepers, local honey production remains very low;
hence, this study was conducted to determine the
profile and status of bee enterprises in Region 1 and
CAR. Demographic profile, level of motivation along
the STEEP factors, and enterprise profile, were
gathered employing semi-structured questionnaire.
Interviews and secondary data were also employed.
Results revealed that majority (78.95%) belong to the
working age population (21-60 years old). There were
more male (75.44%) and married (78.95%) beekeepers
but women participation (24.56%) was also observed.
Beekeepers had a relatively high literacy rate and
98.1% completed bee trainings. More than half
(68.42%) were officers/members of community
organizations but they were just part-time beekeepers
because they had other/main source of family income.
Environmental influences e.g., vegetation, were “very
highly motivating factors in engaging to. Apiary sites
conformed to standards of location appropriateness and
resources availability, and all beekeepers practiced
migration for higher honey production. They had total
colony holdings of 1,097.5 standard (10-framer), with
an average of 27.44 colonies each. This classified them
as commercial beekeepers based on the Philippine
National Standards. Lowland and upland honey flows fall in April to May and October to December. An
analogous process flow of honey harvesting,
processing and storing was confirmed. Start-up
investment is ₽22,010.00. Average yearly operational
expense per standard colony incurred by lowland
beekeepers from 2000 to 2019, was ₽19,367.84 which
is a little higher than the upland costs due to land and
truck rental, and labor fees during migration and
production periods. CAR beekeepers had a higher ROI
of 20.02% than those in Region 1 with 4.39%. Natural
environmental harms i.e., bee-eater predator birds,
typhoons, were on top of the reasons why beekeepers
discontinued their apiculture projects.