Beekeeping

Our experts are beekeepers, advisors and teachers who have been working in the Dutch beekeeping sector, some of them with considerable international work experience. They advise on all aspects of beekeeping, making use of advanced equipment, and also of state-of-the-art methods to cultivate, harvest and market honey.

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Keeping bees is practiced by hundreds of people in the Netherlands as a profession or a hobby. Together, Dutch beekeepers have 40,000 to 80,000 beehives spread all over the country. By managing their hives, they ensure the pollination of all sorts of vegetables, fruit and seed crops.

The annual total beekeeping turnover for the Dutch economy is estimated at 1 billion euro. However, the income of the beekeepers for this service is relatively low and the economic yield of the honey is also negligible in comparison with the contribution honeybees make to agriculture and horticulture. Furthermore, the honeybee is also very valuable for nature in the Netherlands. Honeybees pollinate about 15% of wild plants. Some of these plants mainly depend on honeybees for seed formation and thus for their survival. This makes man-kept bees crucial for biodiversity in nature. The beekeeping profession has changed drastically since the Industrial Revolution due to the influx of machinery. And as time has progressed, the machinery that has been developed has become more advanced and affordable. Equipment like honey extractors, wax extractors, bee smokers, presses, filters, storage equipment and protective clothing have advanced. These innovations have made beekeeping affordable, profitable and easier to do.

Beekeepers, advisors and teachers who have been working in the Dutch beekeeping sector, some of them with considerable international work experience, are experts at PUM. Not only is their equipment very advanced, but their methods used to cultivate and harvest the honey are state of the art as well.

Areas of expertise

PUM’s beekeeping experts are eager to assist beekeepers and other stakeholders in the beekeeping sector with a range of beekeeping issues:

Overview of apiary location and management
Various bee species
Mites and parasites, diseases and treatment, hygiene
Pollination
Supervision of quality control in various aspects of beekeeping and honey production; standardisation of types of honey
Value added bee products: wax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom and other processed products
Supplemental nutrition
Hive and bee management: queen breeding and queen selection, swarming, dividing, etc.
Protective clothing
Construction of beehives and beekeeping equipment
Bee biology, lifecycle and bee species & races
Types of bee hives
Hive management, preparation & maintenance
Monitoring bee colonies, tools & equipment
Site selection of apiaries
Ecology of bee meadows, bee gardens
Pests, diseases and other nuisances
Ecological safe treatments
Harvesting, extracting/processing honey
Extracting other hive products
Queen rearing and production
Record keeping and analysis
Marketing bee products (adding value)
Training, extension services

Jan Koeman

PUM expert beekeeping

“The honey producing and processing company MIAGRO (Miel du Monde), has enormous potential to grow further and especially to promote and improve beekeeping in Sénégal. I found the openness to the outside world to train young people in the beekeeping profession a particularly refreshing approach which will hopefully also contribute to more employment opportunities for young people.”

Client examples

Improving knowledge & skills

The requesting party entered into a multi-year agreement with PUM in order to improve the knowledge and skills of local capacity builders, technicians, master beekeepers and beekeepers. A number of Dutch experts gave advice on bee products, beehive production and other aspects of beekeeping. Training sessions, theoretical as well as practical, were organised and conducted for capacity builders as well as for master beekeepers and technicians. This led to a better performance of the local beehives. By paying more attention to hygiene and cleanliness, bee diseases were prevented. It also resulted in better methods for the harvesting, processing and marketing of bee products.

Beekeepers training

A beekeeping association was expanding, because there was considerable interest in beekeeping among farmers in the surrounding area. Beekeeping was genuinely assisting farmers in raising their incomes. However, the members of the association lacked beekeeping knowledge, skills and experience. A PUM expert consulted with the management of the association and individual members on all aspects of beekeeping, from hive management to the harvesting, processing and marketing of honey. Furthermore, members of the management team attended a training course in the Netherlands.

Quality improvement

The applicant is a company that processes honey originating from small beekeepers who are members of different associations. These associations are essential for the wellbeing of the beekeepers. The company was suffering from the fact that it could not ensure a reliable supply of bee products of good quality. The PUM expert discovered that most of the colonies were severely infected with diseases. It was so severe, that together with the requesting company, he liaised with the Ministry of Agriculture to inform the authorities about this disturbing situation. Together with a lecturer at a university and the chairman of the National Society of Beekeepers, the expert drafted a comprehensive report for the benefit of the Minister of Agriculture to address this serious issue. Ultimately, not only the company benefitted from the presence of the PUM expert but also a wider group of stakeholders.

Professional people for positive impact

Looking to grow your business or organisation sustainably and build a brighter future for your community? Contact one of our representatives in your country for criteria, more information and guidance on the application process.