Buzz about beekeeping as business venture in rural PNG

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
BEEKEEPING or apiculture is one of the potential income-earning businesses for rural Papua New Guineans and must be supported by the Government through investments, an official says.
Livelihood improvement programme coordinator for Anis Foundation Inc, Mark Jackson, recently visited a local bee farmer at Irafo village in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands, to learn about apiculture.
“The practical training was an excitement as the foundation team actually harvested honey and later processed it into organic honey,” he said.
“There are potential individuals and groups who are ready to help themselves improve their livelihood but lack exposure, investment, and mostly, Government support.”
Apiarist (beekeeper) Bonny Taiyo, 28, established his honey business in 2007.
Though unregistered, he is a member of the Eastern Highlands Bee Farmers’ Association, along with more than 20 other farmers from across Eastern Highlands.
Taiyo said apiculture was a business that did not require a lot of hard work, and it could support rural people who were looking at ways to make money.
“If you look at fields full of flowering crops or wild flowers in the village, or at a garden of flowers in the city, you are not only looking at beauty but also at gold – tonnes of valuable honey,” he said.
Jackson described Taiyo as “one of the self-taught apiarists with many bee hives and honey processing equipment”
“As time went by, I got short courses on apiculture at the Department of Agriculture and Livestock office in Goroka and it helped me a lot,” Taiyo said.
“I have my own 40 bee hive boxes, six safety gear set, a storage tank and extractor to produce honey.”
Taiyo said there were not many markets for honey products, “but like most other farmers, I hope to make my own honey products, and one day expand and supply to supermarkets”.
“For a local individual farmer, I need financial support to make that happen.”