STUDY ON A HIGH PERFORMANCE INTEGRATED BEEKEEPING TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

This study aimed to make an economic evaluation of a high performance modern beekeeping technology leading to an increased bee family capacity. The new technology removes the disadvantages of the traditional one utilising just natural picking based on Robinia, Lime, sunflower and wild flora, most of times deeply affected by unfavourable climate conditions (drought, rainfalls) and conducting to important bee losses during the winter season and mainly during the critical period till the next picking. The modern technology assures 75 % more bees per family, an increased queen laying capacity by 33 %,, a 50 % reduction of bee loss in winter season, by 20 % more honey , by 50 % more propolis, by 33 % more pollen, by 50 % more swarms, by 60 % more royal jelly and by 50 % more bee venom. The modern technology is based on a scientific feeding management applying a stimulating, completing and proteinic feeding (pollen cake and/or pollen substitutes such as: degreased powder milk 30 % and soya bean cake), involving peculiar costs ranking between USD 9.73-10.06 per family/year. The total bee rearing costs have been estimated at USD 17.83 in average per family/year, of which: 55.5 % feeding costs, 6.8 % queen replacement cost, 3.2 % treatments cost, 13.5 % costs for supplying new frames and combs,17.4 % transportation costs for moving of bee families and the remaining of 3.6 % labour costs. Taking into account a standard apiary (100 bee families of an increased power), a beekeeper can obtain an USD 12,100.4 annual income, by 55.9 % higher than in case of the traditional beekeeping technology. As a conclusion, the new technology assures a higher biological and economical efficiency, USD 3,350 profit gain that is a profit by 48 % higher than in case of the classic technology. For this reason, we recommend this modern technology to be implemented by beekeepers if they would like to transform their apiaries into high performance commercial farms.