For the past 7 years, Mr. Le Thanh Tung in An Lac Tay commune, Ke Sach district (Soc Trang province) has always maintained beekeeping for honey in his longan garden.
Mr. Tung said that at first, his family only raised bees on a small scale. After many years of raising bees, realizing that honey is a widely consumed product, suitable for market demand, he cooperated with the Ke Sach District Agricultural Extension Station to increase the bee colony to 100 boxes.
With the current number of bee colonies, the family earns nearly 540 million VND per year, after deducting expenses, the profit is about 400 million VND.
According to Mr. Tung, the best tree for honey bees is the longan tree. The peak honey season starts from February to July, and farmers can harvest honey 2-3 times a month. The quality of honey at this time is also considered the best and most beautiful of the year.
The time when bees produce the most honey is in the first, second and third lunar months, with the amount of honey collected being about 500kg. In the remaining months, bees produce less honey, about 200 - 400kg of honey.
"Among the types of honey collected from flowers, longan honey is considered to have the best quality. The honey is always golden yellow, thick and fragrant with the scent of longan. In particular, it does not change color or reduce the quality of the honey even if left all year round," said Mr. Tung.
According to Mr. Tung, raising bees in longan gardens also helps gardeners benefit because bees act as a natural enemy that helps pollinate and prevent pests for crops, making the trees produce more flowers and fruit, helping to increase productivity and fruit quality.
Similarly, Mr. Tieu Van Thao's household in Nhon My commune, Ke Sach district (Soc Trang province) also chose beekeeping for honey as their main livelihood.
Mr. Thao said that although he is from Can Tho City, he has decided to stay in Ke Sach for more than 15 years because this place has a large, green fruit garden, favorable for bee colonies to grow and develop, providing quality honey.
Currently, with over 700 beehives, depending on the season, every 7-10 days, sometimes 15 days, Mr. Thao harvests about 1.5-2 tons of honey. Pure honey is currently retailed at the garden for 120-150 thousand VND/liter and is purchased by a company in Ho Chi Minh City for export at a stable price of 50,000 VND/kg.
"In the dry season, trees bloom a lot, bees have a rich food source so they produce a lot of honey. In the rainy season, bees produce less honey so we have to supplement the bees with food, usually soybean powder mixed with pollen or sugar to feed worker bees and larvae," said Mr. Thao.
According to Mr. Thao, beekeeping is a job that requires hard work, regular care, and cleaning of the beehive so that the bees do not abandon the colony. At the same time, it is necessary to find an abundant source of food so that the bees will produce high levels of honey. The main food of bees is nectar. Therefore, when placing the beehive, it is necessary to choose a suitable location with a large space and many sources of nectar and pollen. In addition, the beehive must be placed in a high, airy place, ensuring hygiene.
"If the above factors are ensured, the honey will be of good quality and a lot of honey will be obtained," said Mr. Tung.
According to many beekeepers, the orchards in Ke Sach (Soc Trang) are treated by gardeners to produce flowers and fruits all year round, so there is almost always a source of nectar, which is convenient for beekeeping. Thanks to that, many households do not need to move their bee colonies to other locations to find honey for their bees.
