Beijing Miyun Honeybee Keeping Project
Location: Miyun County, northeast of Beijing
No. of recipient households : 40
No. of animals given: 1000 hives of honey bees
No. of pass-on families: 80
Surrounded by mountains, Miyun is also a reservoir zone, providing Beijing people with drinking water. In order to protect the water, many farmlands have been reclaimed for forest planting. This results in farmers having fewer croplands to work on.
As Miyun has no industry, villagers traditionally live on growing crops. Some farmers there earn less than RMB 1900 per year. Therefore, some of them are forced to sell labour in Beijing. However, due to little education and skills, they have very few chances to earn money.
Fortunately, Miyun has ecologically favorable environment for bee production and there are also needs for honey bee products from the country. Thus, farmers can earn a living by raising bees.
In this project, Heifer provides each of 40 families with 25 hives of honey bees. Families are trained in bee keeping, e.g. changing bee hives, collecting honey, and bee winter care etc. Besides, assistance will be provided to farmers in marketing their bee products as healthy food and supplementary medicine. Recipient families are also educated on environmental protection.
We look forward that in 3 years¡¦ time, recipient families will increase income by 80% and they can improve their raising skills to produce high quality honey for sale.
