Beekeeping and honey-processing are businesses just like any other, and for this reason, beekeepers must take the necessary steps to increase productivity, which will in turn make their business more profitable.
In order to maintain the quality and quantity of honey produced, beekeepers must provide proper maintenance for their beehives throughout the year. It is also important to keep records during each hive inspection to monitor the progress of each bee colony. Inspect your hive two or three times a month recording the date the hive was occupied, your observations as to its condition and yield of honey in kilograms. Be sure to also improve your beekeeping skills by attending training seminars and workshops. Below are some other ways to add value to your beekeeping business.
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Pool Your Honey
Join or form a cooperative of honey producers to take the first step towards bulk production. The co-operative may then sell the honey wholesale and earn cash faster. If a co-operative handles more than 15 tons of honey, it is more business savvy to sell in bulk to industrial clients which will ensure a secure and ready market.
Export Markets
Think big, think global. Don't just settle on one hive, reinvest your profits to increase the number of hives in your apiary, which will increase your honey yield significantly and within no time you may think of exporting.
Honey Quality
Useful references for international honey standards are specified in the European Union Honey Directive (honey intended for import into an EU country must comply with the definition given in the Directive) and in the Codex Alimentarius Standard for Honey - the worldwide standard for honey used by major global honey importers. These include the standards and methods used for the determination of the following honey quality factors: moisture, ash, acidity, apparent reducing sugars, apparent sucrose, diastase activity and water-insoluble matter. Consult these documents online and see how you can ensure that your honey and other bee products meet international import standards.
Byproducts
Four major byproducts of the honey-making process are: beeswax, pollen, royal jelly and propolis. In developed countries, there is a considerable market for beeswax. Beeswax can be sold to commercial manufacturers for use in the production of drugs, cosmetics, furniture polish, art materials and candles. Because pollen contains large amounts of vitamin B12 and vitamin E, and has a higher percentage of protein than beef, it is considered highly nutritious and is used as a food additive, in the perfume industry and as medicine. Nutrient rich with proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, vitamins, and minerals, royal jelly is valued as a skin product and as a dietary supplement. Propolis is used as a disinfectant, to treat corns, receding gums, and upper respiratory disease and to varnish violins.
End Products
You may also add value to your bee-keeping business by manufacturing end products from bee products yourself. For example, the following products require little expertise and you can easily make them yourself at home. These include candles, leather softener, shoe polish, wood dressing, chapped lip balm, honey ointment, saddle soap/ skin cream and petroleum jelly.
Sweet Honey, Sweet Money - How to Increase Your Honey Profits WATER SOFTENER COMPARISON
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