Local beekeepers and stakeholders learn more about sustainable practice |02 December 2021
The course participants in a souvenir photograph with guests (Photo: Thomas Meriton)
Organic honey is produced from the pollen of organically grown plants, and without chemical miticides to treat the bees, while buying organic honey ensures that you avoid contact with pesticides that may be sprayed on or near the plants visited by honeybees.
Therefore, to be officially certified, hives must be made from organic materials and only exposed to organic environments and beekeeping techniques in the preparation of the honey.
In its effort to make farmers and other stakeholders aware of the procedures to obtain organic products, the department of agriculture in collaboration with the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) is hosting a four-day training on Organic Certification for local beekeepers and stakeholders to introduce the Internal Control System (ICS).
The training, which is being facilitated by Kenyan Dr Jack Juma, was officially launched yesterday by principal secretary for Agriculture Keven Nancy, in the presence of chief executive of the Seychelles Bureau of Standards (SBS) Andy Ally, chief executive of the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) Linetta Joubert, stakeholders and local beekeepers.
The training is also to initiate the development of the ICS manual for organic beekeeping for the selected beekeepers in Seychelles.
PS Nancy noted that the workshop comes at an opportune time when the ministry has embarked on an ambitious programme to encourage farmers into honey production as it will also increase crop yield through pollination.
He added that the ministry is aware of the challenges being encountered such as that beekeeping is new, beekeepers are fragmented and that there are no policies to guide beekeeping and pesticide use, while there is no entomology unit to assist in the project.
PS Nancy further noted that by working with the ICIPE under such project, attempts can be made to address the challenges.
The training is the second phase funded under the ICIPE - International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) project which overall goal is to contribute on increasing food security and income generation opportunities for smallholder farmers in the four Indian Ocean Island Nations and in Zanzibar through improved beekeeping technologies and pollination services.
Local activities carried under the project to date include Basic Beekeeping – to introduce the art of basic beekeeping with interested candidates and to help increase the amount of honey in Seychelles, with 68 new beekeepers from Mahé, Praslin and La Digue trained – Rehabilitation of the honey processing unit at the Beekeepers Association – the unit is the place where all the honey will be processed from the com itself to the market.
A demonstration site was also selected on Mahé, precisely at the Anse Boileau research farm to create bee colonies which will be distributed with farmers, while accessories, including 200 hive smokers, bee suits and other tools were given to farmers.
There was also a survey to gather information on the major problems and issues faced by local beekeepers, and also on the country’s current situation of beekeeping.
Fourteen officers from the SBS, the SAA and the National Biosecurity Agency (NBA) received training at the ICIPE in Kenya on novel techniques based on the European Union Standards.
Among the topics that are being covered during the four-day training include risk assessment and management, introduction to organic agriculture and global outlook, key requirements of exporting honey to the European Union, internal inspection and mapping.
The ICIPE’s training and research project aims to establish a sustainable bee-keeping industry that will improve pollinator health and act as an alternative livelihood source for smallholder farmers.
The centre is an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya that carries out research and training in sustainable management of insects (arthropods) for improving comprehensive health and agricultural productivity in the tropics.
Roland Duval