PANABO CITY— Beekeeping is a profitable agricultural business that also supports nature preservation by collecting flower pollen, which promotes the flowering of commercially important crops. Beekeepers earn income from honey, beeswax, propolis, and royal jelly, as well as from raising queens and producing package bees for sale.
To increase farmers' awareness of effective honeybee production and management practices, the Agricultural Training Institute-Regional Training Center XI (ATI-RTC XI) conducted Honey to Money: Training on Basic Beekeeping for Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) in the Davao Region. This training aimed to provide AEWs with essential knowledge and skills in beekeeping, management, and processing bee by-products.
The course covered various topics, including the apiculture industry in the Philippines, different bee species and their characteristics, hive management, and beekeeping technologies.
As part of the training, participants visited Loyola Bee Farm, a Learning Site for Agriculture in Panabo City, where they observed and demonstrated best practices in bee hive management. They learned to differentiate among queens, drones, and worker bees, engaged in making beeswax foundations, and learned about pollen trapping and collection, observing how worker bees collect and carry pollen back to the hive. Additionally, participants were taught proper honey extraction methods, including pulling a frame from the hive, scraping off the comb, and extracting the honey, as well as engaging in hive construction activities.
Experienced beekeepers Ms. Rachel Ponte, Mr. Giovanni B. Vallescas, and Mr. Benedict Dwayne C. Ortizo from Loyola Bee Farm/Loyola Apiary Private Technical School served as Resource Persons throughout the training.
The training took place at ATI-RTC XI, Datu Abdul, Panabo City on July 9-11, 2024, with eight CPD points for agriculture. Graduates of this training are expected to become extension agents who will disseminate beekeeping technologies at the grassroots level.
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Contributor: Cristine A. Perez
