Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jan 24, 2013 22:13:40 GMT 1
Honey is an important part of the local diet. It is medicinal and can also be used in place of sugar.
However, over time it has become hard to obtain pure honey. Consequently, honey has become expensive and found its way into the list of imported items. This has created business opportunities for bee keepers.
Speaking with The Nation, the Chief Executive, The Thy Consulting, Ismail AbdulAzeez, said apiculture, or bee keeping, offers opportunities for additional income for city dwellers and those in rural areas.
He said beekeeping is an investment for mining wealth, adding that it can also create jobs, and products and services. It, however, begin with knowledge of business and as desire for new opportunities.
He said a prospective entrepreneur needs a small space. After finding this, the next step is to create hives, as many as 30 hives can be kept in an area as small as 25 x 50ft. One can start with N150,000 after land acquisition.
Azeez said the average honey production from a hive is 20 litres. He said on N2,000 per litre, the farmer can make a fortune. According to him, beekeeping can be integrated into small farms, including those that produce fruits and vegetables needing pollination.
Bees also fit into small-scale livestock production, including pastured poultry. Locally produced honey can be attractive and can be used at farm stands and gift shops.
Those who employ both sound beekeeping and business practices, he noted, can generate a substantial part-time income from the sale of honey.
Success in beekeeping requires an intimate knowledge of the biology of honey be, as management practices are based on colony habits and bee behaviour. These skills, he said, could be acquired after two days training. New beekeepers need to make observations of bee activities and examine their colony’s hive frequently.
According to him, a person who is curious, investigative and open-minded about bees and beekeeping is more likely to succeed than one who starts with a primary focus on making money.
For those who like being their own boss and who enjoy working outdoors, beekeeping can offer ample rewards. However, individuals who are highly allergic to insect stings should not keep bees. Only about one of 1000 individuals are highly allergic to an insect sting kit in their car or home. Getting stung occasionally is a part of beekeeping. Protective clothing and keeping bees of a gentle line means those stings will be infrequent.
The key retail outlets are supermarkets and provision stores. Beekeepers harvest their honey, take it to market, and sell their produce to vendors, who then sell to consumers. Sufficient supply of top-quality packing materials do exist, though, as is evident from shelves full of well-presented honey at main retail outlets.
Demand for honey outstrips supply and there exists a market opportunity for producers to sell large quantities of high quality honey. High standards for the harvesting, packaging and handling of the products are also essential.
The challenge is retailers’ reported frustration with unreliable supply patterns and inconsistent qualities of honey. Supermarkets indicated that their intake of honey could be more if supply was consistent in terms of quality and timing of deliveries.
Major problems facing the honey sector, include limited access to extension services, training and investment for business growth; inadequate beekeeping skills and equipment, poor production and processing technologies.
While the majority of beekeepers produce surplus honey for sale, others also may specialize in one or another type of beekeeping. For example, rental of hives for pollination is an important component of the beekeeping industry. Rearing queens and package bees for sale is an even more specialized component. The decline in the number of beekeepers creates opportunities for new or existing beekeepers to provide honey to markets formerly served by those left the industry.
Beekeepers who raise queens with a minimum of chemical pest treatments would have an advantage. For producers, it is impractical and unwise to attempt to eliminate mites from bee yards. The strategy that gives queen producers an edge is to produce queens of disease resistant lines of bees. Beekeepers can earn additional income by making and selling products made with beeswax and honey.
These include homemade soap, hand crèmes, furniture polish and candles. Beeswax is a byproduct of producing honey and at best is a minor source of income for beekeepers. Some beekeepers have found strong demand for value added honey products.
Azeez said one can depend on bees and apiary products for a living. The upward trend in honey prices can be partially attributed to the development of several forms of retail markets. Honey producers develop their own brands and sell to consumers through road stands, farmer’s markets and local outlets.
Honey producers are able to extract price premiums since consumers are more willing to pay for locally produced and specialty honeys, such as organic honey.
To market honey through co-operatives, producers have to be members and must be able to deliver a specified quantity of the product (quota). Production beyond quota levels can be sold to the co-op at a reduced price or to different buyers. Bulk honey is usually sold in barrels to packers who then package honey products using their own label.
Source: The Nation, Wednesday,January 9,2013. Page 35. Small Business and Entrepreneurship Page.
Learn more about Beekeeping in Nigeria @ ismailabdulazeez.com/?page_id=63
However, over time it has become hard to obtain pure honey. Consequently, honey has become expensive and found its way into the list of imported items. This has created business opportunities for bee keepers.
Speaking with The Nation, the Chief Executive, The Thy Consulting, Ismail AbdulAzeez, said apiculture, or bee keeping, offers opportunities for additional income for city dwellers and those in rural areas.
He said beekeeping is an investment for mining wealth, adding that it can also create jobs, and products and services. It, however, begin with knowledge of business and as desire for new opportunities.
He said a prospective entrepreneur needs a small space. After finding this, the next step is to create hives, as many as 30 hives can be kept in an area as small as 25 x 50ft. One can start with N150,000 after land acquisition.
Azeez said the average honey production from a hive is 20 litres. He said on N2,000 per litre, the farmer can make a fortune. According to him, beekeeping can be integrated into small farms, including those that produce fruits and vegetables needing pollination.
Bees also fit into small-scale livestock production, including pastured poultry. Locally produced honey can be attractive and can be used at farm stands and gift shops.
Those who employ both sound beekeeping and business practices, he noted, can generate a substantial part-time income from the sale of honey.
Success in beekeeping requires an intimate knowledge of the biology of honey be, as management practices are based on colony habits and bee behaviour. These skills, he said, could be acquired after two days training. New beekeepers need to make observations of bee activities and examine their colony’s hive frequently.
According to him, a person who is curious, investigative and open-minded about bees and beekeeping is more likely to succeed than one who starts with a primary focus on making money.
For those who like being their own boss and who enjoy working outdoors, beekeeping can offer ample rewards. However, individuals who are highly allergic to insect stings should not keep bees. Only about one of 1000 individuals are highly allergic to an insect sting kit in their car or home. Getting stung occasionally is a part of beekeeping. Protective clothing and keeping bees of a gentle line means those stings will be infrequent.
The key retail outlets are supermarkets and provision stores. Beekeepers harvest their honey, take it to market, and sell their produce to vendors, who then sell to consumers. Sufficient supply of top-quality packing materials do exist, though, as is evident from shelves full of well-presented honey at main retail outlets.
Demand for honey outstrips supply and there exists a market opportunity for producers to sell large quantities of high quality honey. High standards for the harvesting, packaging and handling of the products are also essential.
The challenge is retailers’ reported frustration with unreliable supply patterns and inconsistent qualities of honey. Supermarkets indicated that their intake of honey could be more if supply was consistent in terms of quality and timing of deliveries.
Major problems facing the honey sector, include limited access to extension services, training and investment for business growth; inadequate beekeeping skills and equipment, poor production and processing technologies.
While the majority of beekeepers produce surplus honey for sale, others also may specialize in one or another type of beekeeping. For example, rental of hives for pollination is an important component of the beekeeping industry. Rearing queens and package bees for sale is an even more specialized component. The decline in the number of beekeepers creates opportunities for new or existing beekeepers to provide honey to markets formerly served by those left the industry.
Beekeepers who raise queens with a minimum of chemical pest treatments would have an advantage. For producers, it is impractical and unwise to attempt to eliminate mites from bee yards. The strategy that gives queen producers an edge is to produce queens of disease resistant lines of bees. Beekeepers can earn additional income by making and selling products made with beeswax and honey.
These include homemade soap, hand crèmes, furniture polish and candles. Beeswax is a byproduct of producing honey and at best is a minor source of income for beekeepers. Some beekeepers have found strong demand for value added honey products.
Azeez said one can depend on bees and apiary products for a living. The upward trend in honey prices can be partially attributed to the development of several forms of retail markets. Honey producers develop their own brands and sell to consumers through road stands, farmer’s markets and local outlets.
Honey producers are able to extract price premiums since consumers are more willing to pay for locally produced and specialty honeys, such as organic honey.
To market honey through co-operatives, producers have to be members and must be able to deliver a specified quantity of the product (quota). Production beyond quota levels can be sold to the co-op at a reduced price or to different buyers. Bulk honey is usually sold in barrels to packers who then package honey products using their own label.
Source: The Nation, Wednesday,January 9,2013. Page 35. Small Business and Entrepreneurship Page.
Learn more about Beekeeping in Nigeria @ ismailabdulazeez.com/?page_id=63
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