Born and raised in the middle of a vast cajuput forest, where the profession of beekeeping is deeply rooted in the lives of the residents, at the age of 17, Mr. Nhi followed his relatives into the forest to learn the profession. The painful stings of bees discourage newcomers, but for him, it is a challenge to overcome. After persistently learning, he became a skilled worker, proficient in honey extraction techniques to produce quality products. To date, he has been in the profession for 48 years.
Three generations of Mr. Tran Van Nhi's family have followed the beehive keeping profession.
PHOTO: GIA BACH
Protecting forests is protecting our livelihoods.
Mr. Nhi shared that the secret to building a beehive is to be careful and meticulous in choosing trees to build the beams, in which cajuput trees are always the number 1 choice, because of their quality and lifespan of about 2 years. In addition to choosing the right tree to build the beams, the location of the beams also determines whether the bees will come to build their nests or not. It must be a place with reeds, with morning and afternoon sunlight shining on a part of the beehive. Thus, when the bees build their nests, they will have quality honey.
"Looking at the cajuput flowers blooming, I know whether that year's harvest will be good or bad. Looking at the bees flying, I know whether they choose to build their nests near or far," Mr. Nhi said with the pride of an experienced person. The long years of wandering in the forest have helped him understand the workings of nature.
Every year, Mr. Nhi harvests about 600 liters of honey, with a stable income of more than 300 million VND.
PHOTO: GIA BACH
Mr. Nhi does not only do this job for himself. His whole family, from his son, Mr. Tran Van Chon (44 years old) to his grandson, Tran Tuan Anh (only 13 years old), all follow in his footsteps. Since the age of 16, Mr. Chon has mastered the technique of keeping beehives, and little Tuan Anh has followed his grandfather into the forest to learn the job since he was 10 years old. Three generations living together and protecting the traditional profession as a sacred heritage, is a testament to Mr. Nhi's love and dedication to the profession of keeping beehives.
His passion and awareness of preserving the profession urged Mr. Nhi to continuously learn and share with neighboring residents. Before 1975, he and 40 households established Phong Ngan Group, a collective forest management and exploitation model. The group not only ensured livelihoods for households but also helped protect the forest, preventing disputes or forest fires for decades. Currently, the group has been upgraded to Cooperative 19.5 to have higher legal status, continuing to manage and exploit forests on an area of 540 hectares, of which Mr. Nhi's family manages 13.5 hectares.
For nearly 50 years in the beekeeping profession, Mr. Nhi has always kept in mind not to mix anything that would reduce the quality of honey.
PHOTO: GIA BACH
According to Mr. Nhi, for beekeepers, the first criterion for survival in the collective is the awareness of preserving common property. That property is the vast forests that feed the majority of the people here. "Protecting the forest is protecting our source of life," Mr. Nhi said.
Thanks to his constant efforts and rich experience, each year, Mr. Nhi harvests about 600 liters of honey, earning more than 300 million VND. Combined with other sources of income, his family's total income is more than 500 million VND/year.
Mr. Nguyen Van Vung, Director of the 19.5 Cooperative, said that over the years, bee-eating groups have been tightly organized, with strict rules such as supporting each other, not stealing other people's beehives, not mixing water with honey... All members strictly follow these rules.
Preserving heritage
The profession of beekeeping became a national intangible cultural heritage in 2020. This is a worthy recognition for the tireless efforts of artisans like Mr. Ut Nhi. Mr. Nhi proudly said: "To have quality honey, we must maintain the bee colony. To have bees, we must protect the forest. That is the responsibility of a professional like me."
While many of his friends have switched to other careers, Mr. Nhi still keeps his passion alive and continues to teach the profession to the next generation. This perseverance has contributed to the U Minh honey brand spreading far and wide, becoming the pride of Ca Mau .
Planting and preserving forests is the way Mr. Nhi educates his children and grandchildren to protect their livelihoods.
PHOTO: GIA BACH
Not only does he keep the passion for his profession alive, Mr. Nhi also spreads his love for the forest to his children and grandchildren, reminding them of the value of natural resources and heritage. "Preserving the forest is preserving the future, preserving the U Minh honey brand is preserving our lives," he said with firm belief.
Having been in the beekeeping business for more than half his life, Mr. Nhi always believes that no matter how difficult it is, he must not do business dishonestly or mix honey. "I will keep the honey extraction method the same and then sell it to customers. It has never changed for decades. If I sell a poor quality product just once, customers will lose their trust, and if a person loses their reputation, it is like losing everything," Mr. Nhi confided.
Thanks to people like him, the beekeeping profession is not only a way to make a living, but also a symbol of the connection between people and nature, between life and culture of the U Minh Ha land. Mr. Tran Hieu Hung, Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ca Mau, said: "The beekeeping profession not only creates a sustainable livelihood for many people living under the canopy of cajuput forests, but is also a unique tourism product that attracts visitors. The experience of eating bees for honey is one of the most attractive activities for tourists when coming to Ca Mau. From here, the image of the land and people of Ca Mau, kind and generous, appears clearly".
The beekeeping profession in HU Minh and Tran Van Thoi District (Ca Mau) was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2020. U Minh honey products were ranked by the Vietnam Record Organization in the top 100 tourism gifts in 2021.
Comment (0)