BSU Mentor Makes Pitch for Beekeeping
June 13, 2015
To help save the endangered local biodiversity, a professor from Benguet State University (BSU) urged the public to support the beekeeping industry.
Speaking during the recently held beekeeping seminar at BSU, Professor Pax Untalan of the Cordillera Regional Apiculture Center-BSU said that wild and cultivated plants in the region are fast declining in numbers and one of the ways to reverse the trend is to raise honey bees.
According to Prof. Untalan, most plants are dependent on insect or bee pollination for productivity. Without pollination, plants might become extinct.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from one plant to another and in the process seeds will soon immerge for reproduction.
A study published by the Nature Magazine concluded that a loss of just one pollinator specie harms plants. Removing even single bee specie from an ecosystem has serious effects on plant reproduction
”In the Cordillera region, wild various flowers blanketed the roadsides, creeks, and mountain cliffs because of the existence of honey bees.” Prof. Untalan said.
Noting that Cordilllera region is a tourist hub, Professor Untalan mentioned that local government units can also adopt api-tourism – an approach to attract tourists or visitors through beekeeping.
“The purpose is to let the public be aware on the importance of bees to the environment and to the people.” Untalan said, “Activities involved on api-tourism are workshop on honey bee care and maintenances, and knowing the by- products derived from honey bees”.
“Individuals also can raise bee colonies for honey production “, Untalan added.
Bees also played vital role to farmers for their crop production. Bee pollination on crops increases production by 30 percent.
A private company named Ilog Maria in Cavite province allows their bee colonies rented purposely for crop pollination./Danny Killip
