I was not surprised to read in Cas Coovadia’s article that skills development is part of a successful society and can be a silver lining, even in a post Covid-19 recovery situation .
However, in my 40 years of beekeeping experience I haven’t seen much happening and the question is when and how will it happen? The situation is short and not sweet! SA is now depending totally on imported honey from the Far East.ost honey is imported — pests and diseases included — as the current 600 registered beekeepers are unable to satisfy the market.no formal training to pass on the knowledge to the next generation.
My motivation is to leave a legacy of professionals with added value and qualifications including manufacturing, processing and marketing of the by-products of the hive. It will also include the vital and profitable service of pollination for commercial crops . Another bonus of training is that it will benefit honey bees as they have to be looked after for their survival.
In the 1970s the UN provided a grant to Turkey to modernise its bee industry. Today Turkey is number two in world honey production. We need to make that happen in SA.LETTERS: JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an e-mail with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by e-mail to busday@bdfm.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.