While our connection with food is often associated with meat, fish, and plants, bees play a crucial role in producing a significant portion of the food we consume. A substantial amount of our diet is derived from plants that require pollination, leading to the production of fruits, grains, and other essential crops.
In Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, there is a thriving bee farm that evolved from two bee colonies into a primary income source for its owners. This bee farm now specializes in a diverse array of bee-based products, including freshly harvested honey, honey soap, lip balms, scented candles, and honey wine. The success of this venture highlights the profit of beekeeping in local economies and its importance in sustainable agriculture.
Keeping the Business of Beekeeping Alive
Established in 2012, bee farm owner Arnold Valle initially wanted to venture into a high-earning business, however, his previous job as a beekeeper at the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office (DA-RFO 10) prompted him to venture into apiary and the business of beekeeping. His years of beekeeping experience inspired him to establish his bee farm and tap its potential as a money maker and income source.
Aval’s Apiary Products and Services has gained a good reputation for its unadulterated honey, which is particularly popular among health-conscious consumers and walk-in customers. This ATI-certified LSA farm is strategically situated among coconuts and various high-value crops, which influence the flavor profile of their honey depending on the flowering season of the surrounding vegetation.
“Ang bees nga gigamit sa training was owned by Mr. Late Janen Paradero who was the regional focal person of beekeeping in DA Region 10 in 1998. Diha ko sa iya naka training ug naka hands on sa beekeeping. Didto pud ko naka- training ug naka hands-on sa beekeeping”, Arnold said.
“Member sad tuod ko sa Beenet Philippines, Board of Directors pud ko sa national ug vice president ko sa Mindanao chapter. My recent travel to Australia afforded me work experience in commercial beekeeping for six months and gained valuable insights that despite having a high-tech or large-scale beekeeping industry, there is a difference when the bees are tended with personal care. Although I was asked to come back after six months by August this year, I chose not to because I wanted to focus more on developing my bee farm. Lahi ra jud if kita mismo mag-atiman ug mag- manage”, he said further.
Arnold started first with two bee colonies. From there, his single colony multiplied into a hundred colonies. Aval’s honey-based products come from their European honeybees (Apis mellifera), the subject of their numerous beekeeping training and demonstrations.
Arnold and his wife Malaya also cater to those who want to learn more about beekeeping through the conduct of training and seminars. While Arnold is in charge of the production of honey, his wife Malaya develops value-added products derived from their bee colonies. They also conduct training in our training center on Apis mellifera or European honeybees in two settings---commercial beekeeping practices in Australia and commercial beekeeping practices in the Philippines with value-adding processing.
“So far ang honey ang in-demand kay kasayud man sila nga pure jud kay naa may makita nga mga bees ug gina video pud namo during harvest. Best seller pud namo ang honey lip balm kay pure bees wax na sya. Natural kaayo ug barato pa”, Arnold stated.
To date, Aval’s earns an average of Php 10,000 pesos a month from bee-based products alone excluding other merchandise.
Aval’s commercial success is not just a testament to the quality of its products but also reflects a growing recognition of the vital role bees play in our food systems. As the demand for bee-related products continues to rise, initiatives to promote beekeeping through social media groups and community support are becoming increasingly visible. These efforts aim to educate new beekeepers and enhance local agricultural practices, ensuring the sustainability of this essential industry.
Beekeeping 101
When harvesting honey, Arnold puts on a bee suit to protect himself from bee stings (always a protocol). A beehive smoker is another tool used by beekeepers to “calm” the bees down. The smoke from a burned langkay sa lubi, is a time-tested approach of Arnold in taming the bees and keeping their aggressiveness at bay.
The hive boxes are where Arnold harvests the honey, the bottom boxes are where the egg chambers of the bees are located, and the super boxes are where the bees produce their honey. After spraying the
super box, he then uses a bee brush to scrape off the bees from the bee frame. A clean and well-filled frame teeming with honey is ready for harvest and extraction.
In their extracting room, Arnold then proceeds to uncap the honey chambers inside the frame with the flowing honey poured into a clean container. After doing a manual extraction by slicing the honeybee chambers, Arnold then puts the bee frames into a honey extractor where the device is designed to spin the frames to maximize the extraction of honey for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. The remaining beeswax are then put into a strainer (or a big colander) to strain any remaining honey.
For Arnold, innovation is also the name of the game since he explored other bee products that can be derived from a honey colony. Aside from harvesting and selling fresh and authentic honey, Avals now sells honey soap, pineapple jam, scented candles, and honey lip balms. Non-food products also include customized mugs, shirts, and trucker caps as business merchandise to strategically market their products.
“Usa rajud akong pangadoy nga unta moabot ang panahon nga ang atong goverment makabuhat ug support system nga pareha sa gawas like sa Australia. 2015 na-apil sa priority commodity ang beekeeping ug daghan trainings na conduct ato sponsor by DA region kay naa man pundo, after ato wala na dayun support nahitabo, sa pagka karun nagkanya kanya paningkamot mga beekeeper arun mabuhi ug ma sustain ang mga honeybees nila tungod kay halos tanan nga supplies and materials sa beekeeping industry nato is imported”, Arnold lamented.
Raising the next generation of beekeepers
Arnold and Malaya are nurturing the next generation of beekeepers by actively involving their eldest daughter, Amara, in the management of their bee colonies and the farm's social media presence, which includes digital marketing and online sales of their products.
Now a college student, Amara contributes by handling paperwork, designing flyers, and creating layouts for t-shirts featuring their brand. Their younger son, currently in Grade 5, aspires to pursue an agriculture-related course, aiming to help manage the family farm in the future.
Amara's passion for beekeeping ignited during the pandemic, prompting her to delve into the science of apiculture. Her academic success, highlighted by a DOST full-time scholarship including her acceptance into the University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB), exemplifies the potential for young farmers to thrive in both agricultural and academic excellence.
As Aval’s Apiary Products and Services flourishes, it stands as a beacon of sustainable practices and economic opportunity in Bukidnon, showcasing the vital connections between agriculture, education, and environmental stewardship.
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