Objective and Target Participants

This course aims to develop honey production among rural farming families in the tropical evergreen regions in Asia. The specific objectives are to:
a. Help alleviate poverty in the region through sustainable income generation from honey production;
b. Counter the loss of biodiversity through conservation efforts; and
c. Establish an understanding of the flora that contributes to the production of honey as an economic
agriproduct and therefore encourage conservation and propagation.

Background

In tropical Asian communities, men traditionally engaged in honey hunting and gathering. Today, beekeeping and honey production are becoming a family home gardening pursuit involving women and children as well. The hive honeybee Apis cerana is indigenous to Asia, 80% of the flora in tropical Asia is pollinated by honeybees, and A. cerana is the only economically manageable species.

People living in humid tropical evergreen regions in Asia viewed their biodiversity as an inexhaustible resources for continuing utilization and sustainability. Urbanization and increased rural poverty have contributed to a rapid loss of biodiversity, affecting the livelihoods of rural communities. Therefore to mitigate or altogether reverse this vicious cycle, methods must be devised to generate income sustainably through the conservation of biodiversity. In this context, “beekeeping for honey production” is a champion which has many added advantages. Rural beekeepers could potentially become change agents in tropical evergreen forest areas by developing model local honey production resource centers for others to emulate.

The basic goal of this course is to encourage the sustainable utilization of the natural biodiversity in the forests of tropical Asia and demonstrate how indigenous hive honeybees could become a key component of conservation-based, income-generating activities. The course will designed to show both honey producers at the grassroots level and national policymakers the value of beekeeping in ecological and economic terms.

Scope and Course Content

This course consists of 8 modules as listed below.

Module 1: Starting beekeeping: Nature, honeybee colonies and movable comb hives
1.1 Where do honeybees build their nests naturally?
1.2 Movable comb hives
1.3 Starting beekeeping by hiving an easily accessible natural colony
1.4 Summary of Module 1

Module 2: Beekeeping Appliances
2.1 Movable comb hive
2.2 Smoker
2.3 Honey Extractor
2.4 Supplementary appliances
2.5 Wax Extraction and solar wax extractor
2.6 Honey comb preservation
2.7 Summary of Module 2

Module 3: Growing stages
3.1 Natural growth
3.2 Enhancing growth
3.3 Supplementary feeding
3.4 Population management, comb transfer, and preparation of honey compartment
3.5 Summary of Module 3

Quiz 1

Module 4: Reproductive stage
4.1 Identification of differential growing stages in relation to reproduction
4.2 Drone stage
4.3 Queen phase
4.4 Intensive division of colonies to produce more new colonies for re-queen and for sale of starter colonies
4.5 Summary of Module 4

Module 5: Honey season
5.1 Examination of honey combs
5.2 Honey maturation and quality
5.3 Honey extraction
5.4 Honey quality certification in the field

Quiz 2

Module 6: Dearth period
6.1 Population management and adjustment of hive (or nest) volume
6.2 Comb preservation and or bees’ wax extraction
6.3 Supplementary feeding
6.4 Prevention of absconding
6.5 Prevention of pest attacks

Module 7: Economics
7.1 Record keeping
7.2 Expenditure & Investment
7.3 Time spent
7.4 Production
7.5 Income & Entrepreneurship Development
7.6 Breakeven point and profits
7.7 Extension and Expansion
7.8 Summary of Module 7

Module 8: Best practices or success stories of Apiculture Management
8.1 Case study 1
8.2 Case study 2
8.3 Summary of the whole course

Quiz 3

Final examination

Methodology
Self-learning e-modules, additional study materials for participants, intermittent quizzes for self-assessment, assignments, and a final examination to qualify for the APO e-certificate.

Important Notes:
1) Participants who register to take this course and pass the final examination with a score of 70% or higher will be eligible to receive the APO certificate. Please note that the final examination can be taken only once. Therefore, you decide when you choose to take the examination.
2) Please note that the self-assessment quizzes are for your own evaluation and have no connection with the final examination results.