RM4,000 richer from KPD’s bees
Published on: Friday, November 20, 2020
By: Bernama
Kota Kinabalu: After the successful breeding of the Apis Cerana or Pomosuon species of honey bees, the Sabah Rural Development Cooperative (KPD) is focusing on helping its participants, comprising rural residents, to increase their income through the breeding of kelulut or stingless bees.Sabah KPD Deputy General Manager (business and operations division) Andree Funk said so far, 22 Apis Cerana breeders who are registered with the KPD have ventured into the breeding of kelulut bees.
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“Of this figure, 19 farmers have started selling kelulut honey to the KPD since January this year with an average income of RM345 per month for each participant.
“Kelulut bee breeding has great potential because Sabah has suitable areas or habitat for the kelulut bees,” he said.
He said the Sabah KPD had previously started breeding kelulut bees in August 2016 at the KPD farm in Sikuati, Kudat, a district located in the northern coast of Sabah.
Bee keeping is one of the economic activities carried out by the Sabah KPD since the agency was established in 1976 to help in the State Government’s efforts to reduce poverty, especially among the rural population.
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Andree said a total of 520 farmers are still participants in the contract farming of the Apis Cerana honey or tropical honey which covers Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Kota Belud, Pedalaman and Sipitang.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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“Apis Cerana is farmed by KPD and participants who follow the bee breeding programme because this specie has a high honey production value,” he said.
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He added that for the Apis Cerana honeybee programme, the facilities provided to the contract participants were in the form of breeding equipment.