Abstract
Apiculture is an agroforestry system that has been neglected at the background in tropical Africa and Nigeria in particular. This is due to lack of awareness on the production know-how and the financial gains associated to it. The objective of this paper therefore, is to review apicultural techniques and its economic benefits. Apiculture is one of the most booming lucrative enterprises in many parts of the world. It is a profitable venture that requires little or no investment with quick returns. It is the science of raising bees in order to harvest honey and other useful products such as propolis, beeswax, pollen and royal jelly (bee milk). Honey and wax are usually used as medicine, health food and traditional crafts (candle making). In the traditional setting, honey is usually harvested from the wild which is always crude, difficult, dangerous and unsustainable. There is high demand for honey in Africa and the world at large but the production is low and not being encouraged. However, apiculture has gradually become a major component of mini-livestock production in Africa and other parts of the world. It has relatively reduced honey hunting and is seen as an alternative business for employment and revenue generation. Beekeeping can be practiced by all irrespective of age, gender, religion and profession with no negative environmental impact. Government and well to do individuals in the society should assist interested beekeepers with soft loans to purchase modern equipment like movable frame hives, bee suits, smokers and honey extractors. Apiculture should be enshrined in the curriculum of the primary and secondary schools, institution of higher learning and adopted as part of rural development approach. It should be promoted by well-organized extension services. Improving beekeeping in Africa will be a good way to ensure food security, reduce joblessness and add income across the economies of the continent. Efforts should also be made by Export Commissions to showcase African honey in the world market.
Highlights
Bees are social insects which live together in large organized, sophisticated groups and communities called colonies
A. cerana is the docile bees found in Asia (Middle East to Japan and Southern Indonesia)
Honey bees appear to live in rigidly hierarchical colonies normally with a single queen [5]
Summary
Bees are social insects which live together in large organized, sophisticated groups and communities called colonies. Beekeeping enterprise if properly handled could aid in reducing the high rate of poverty especially in the rural settings and boost African export base [2, 8, 14] It can provide useful products, source of income, empowerment of youth and women and pollination of crops in tropical countries [2, 9, 7, 4]. A. cerana is the docile bees found in Asia (Middle East to Japan and Southern Indonesia) It produces less honey per hive than A. mellifera, but its overall production in many South-Eastern Asian countries may be greater [5]. A well-managed colony can survive periods of extreme adversity [5]
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