Taking advantage of the vast hilly area with its diverse and abundant flowers, the Trung Giap Commune Honey Beekeeping Cooperative in Phu Ninh District has been reaping sweet rewards from beekeeping.
The honey product of the Trung Giap Commune Beekeeping Cooperative was recognized as an OCOP product in 2022.
These days, members of the Trung Giap Commune Honey Beekeeping Cooperative are busy harvesting and processing honey. With over 20 years of experience in beekeeping, Mr. Ha Van Thanh – Deputy Head of the Trung Giap Commune Honey Beekeeping Cooperative – has a wealth of knowledge and success. Currently, Mr. Thanh owns 66 bee colonies and regularly divides them to sell to people in the commune and surrounding areas.
Gently opening the hive lid to check the quality of the honey, Mr. Thanh shared: “To ensure a healthy bee colony that produces high-quality honey with a high yield, beekeepers need to understand characteristics such as nest building, colony division, and knowledge of different flowers, flowering seasons, and honey-gathering seasons. At the same time, they must know how to position the beehives in cool, clean places, with small, compact entrances just large enough for the bees to pass through, preventing predators from entering and protecting the colony from disease.”
Through research, we learned that beekeeping in Trung Giap has existed for a long time, originating from people who went into the hills and forests to harvest honey from the wild. Gradually, the locals learned how to catch and tame bees by releasing them into pre-built hives, where they would then feed on flowers and produce honey. In this way, beekeeping gradually developed and spread, becoming a livelihood for the people here.
To capitalize on local advantages, the Trung Giap Commune Honey Beekeeping Cooperative was established at the end of 2022 and has become a central hub connecting its members to honey consumption. All members are enthusiastic because since participating in this production model, they have reaped many benefits, from support and sharing of beekeeping techniques to collaboration in product distribution.
Currently, the cooperative has 16 beekeeping members with approximately 500 colonies. On average, the members produce 700-1,000 liters of honey annually for the market. To operate effectively and establish the Trung Giap honey brand, members receive training and exchange experiences in beekeeping from various localities that have developed this profession. In addition, members proactively learn how to care for honeybees, build hives, and arrange hives at appropriate distances.
Beekeeping doesn't require a huge investment; you only need about 200,000 VND to own a beehive for breeding. Beekeeping in Trung Giap mainly follows natural methods, taking advantage of the abundant natural resources. The region benefits from a rich and diverse supply of flowers from acacia forests and fruit trees, creating opportunities for bee colonies to thrive.
Mr. Ha Van Thanh, Deputy Head of the Trung Giap Commune Honey Beekeeping Cooperative, has extensive experience in beekeeping and earns hundreds of millions of VND per year.
The honey products of the Trung Giap Commune Beekeeping Cooperative are increasingly trusted and favored by consumers due to their clear labeling and traceability stamps. Notably, at the end of 2022, the cooperative's honey products received OCOP 3-star certification, significantly increasing their value and improving both wholesale and retail prices.
Mr. Bui Tho Toan, from Zone 6, Trung Giap commune, said: “Before joining the organization, my family sold honey retail to regular customers easily, but it was difficult with new customers because they sometimes doubted whether the product was truly good or not. Now that we are part of the organization, the product is inspected, produced using natural methods, and has a traceability label. As a result, the selling price has increased to about 250,000 - 280,000 VND/liter, depending on the type of flower that produces the honey.”
And from then on, the honey products of the Trung Giap Commune Beekeeping Cooperative became more accessible to consumers and were highly appreciated for their quality. Currently, the cooperative's products are widely consumed in markets within and outside the district, thus creating regular jobs for members with stable incomes ranging from 50 to 100 million VND per year.
The rich, golden drops of honey are the result of the tireless labor of the honeybees, the crystallization of the flavors of the land and sky, and the warmth of the people of Trung Giap, spreading and permeating the air. These achievements acknowledge the efforts of the beekeepers here, marking the further growth and expansion of local agricultural products. This serves as motivation for beekeeping households to love their profession even more, to continue developing production and business, and to improve product quality in the future.
Sunshine
Source: https://baophutho.vn/ngot-ngao-huong-vi-mat-ong-trung-giap-229588.htm
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