THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture XI said honey production in bee farms in Davao Region has not been severely affected by the El Niño phenomenon.
During an interview at the World Bee Day Celebration at the Loyola Apiary Farm on May 20, DA XI farmer regional executive director Epifanio Loyola Jr. observed that bee farms continue to harvest honey despite the extreme weather conditions.
In fact, he said beekeepers favor the summer season over rainy days.
“Ang Tagum naka harvest sila og duha ka colony. Naka harvest sila og 18 kilos, so dako ang na tabang sa ila,” he said.
However, he said that prolonged droughts typically result in reduced production, impacting farmers’ incomes.
During the Agribiz Media Forum at SM Lanang last May 15, Loyola also explained the heat also contributes to the blooming of numerous flowers for bees to produce more honey and collect more pollen to fertilize plants.
According to Loyola Jr., the average honey harvest, under coconut trees, is up to 8-15 kilos monthly based on their studies while for other commodities it averages 5-12 kilos.
“Kung mag 15 kilos ka, 15 kilos na times 600 pesos per kilo. So, dako na kay nang tabang sa mga mag-uuma,” he said
Loyola Jr. acknowledged the challenges of low honey production that could not meet the market demands. DA XI will continue supporting the apiculture industry to train farmers in beekeeping and increase the bee population. Davao Region currently has almost 50 beekeepers mostly in Tagum and Panabo.
“Kulang kaayo ang atong produkto. Halos 30 percent lang murag apil na diha ang katong mga peke natong mga honey,” he said.
