Eye on the Honeybees in Davao Region!

Beekeeping, or scientifically called Apiculture is said to be the newest alternative industry that will contribute to the economic growth of Davao Region and Mindanao as a whole. This new industry is expected to be mass-produced soon especially that China expressed a great export demand for this product.

“The poverty in this region is ballooning. More people are getting poorer. The production and export of honey bee is one of the region’s solutions to prevent the situation from getting any worse”, told Vicente Lao, chairman of the Mindanao Business Council (MBC).

Lao also assured that China is looking for new suppliers of honey bee in Asia saying that “the Chinese traders are eyeing on the Philippines, especially Davao Region to supply them with tons of honey bees”.

According to Lao, the Davao Region and Mindanao itself has a “competitive advantage in this industry because unlike other parts of the country, the bees can produce all year round here due to absence of typhoons. We also have a very good production of coconut, which is the bee’s staple food. All these factors contribute to potentiality of this industry to be successful in this region”.

To start this new industry, a massive Beekeeping Training Program has been set up here in the city for various stakeholders. The weeklong training was spearheaded and conducted by the University of the Philippines in Mindanao (UPMin). Dr. Cleofas Cervancia, director of UP Los Baños Institute of Biological Science, along with other resource persons, led the training. A total of 30 stakeholders from Mintal together with private institutions, and non-government organizations joined.

The training produced the first batch of beekeepers and they were given 22 beehive pilot farms to start their own livelihood project. The pilot farms were set up in Mintal, around the vicinity of UPMin.

The stakeholders can earn additional 2500 per month by attending three to five hives from this new backyard industry.

Lao expressed great confidence in this new emerging industry especially that this venture is supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“We are looking at beekeeping as a top-priority in the one-town, one-product (OTOP) program. This industry has a very bright potential”, DTI Undersecretary Engr. Merly Cruz said.

The stakeholders were assured by Lao and Cruz that constant funds can be sourced out from government agencies and foreign agencies who have expressed their interest to support this budding industry in the Philippines, in Mindanao, and more importantly, in Davao.