By P. K.Yankey, GNA
Wassa-Mampong (W/R), April 06, GNA – Goshen Global Vision (GGV) a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) into organic farming and tree planting exercise, has organised a beekeeping honey training exercise for about thirty (30) Cocoa cooperative farmers from Daboase and Mpohor at Wassa-Mampong in the Wassa-East District, Western Region.
The project under the United States Forest Services International Project (USFS-IP) is jointly funded by the European Forest Institute (EFI) and the European Union (EU).
Mr Theophilus Ebenezer Amihere, a Project Officer with GGV who took the farmers through the training on behalf of Madam Mary Perpetual Kwakwuyi, the Executive Director of GGV, on “Honeycomb Harvest and Honey Extraction,” said it was aimed at climate resilient Agricultural practices to boost rural livelihoods.
The farmers were taken through topics such as setting up an apiary and management, essential basic tools to manipulate honeybee colonies, honeybee foraging and feeding – preferred plants among others from the egg, larva, pupa to adult stages.
Mr Amihere said beekeeping could be undertaken as an alternative livelihood programme with a net positive outcome and effect on carbon sequestration.
He said GGV was supporting Beekeeping as a low emission’s development strategy to improve upon the lot of farmers, especially those in the cocoa sector.
Mr Amihere said the training was expected to provide economic incentives for farmers willing to conserve and improve tree cover in farm landscapes and derive services, such as pollination which contribute to conservation of biodiversity and climate change.
The GGV Project Officer catalogued a litany of products from apiaries such as honey food.
“Wax is obtained from honey which is useable in cosmetics for skin creams, soaps, lip balms and candles.”
Royal jelly is also derived from honey used to treat several diseases to support the immune system and stimulate mental clarity.
Mr Amihere said the pollen derived from honey, served as a natural source of multi-vitamins, which was also a good source of all essential amino-acids.
He said the bee venom was also used for treating bee sting allergies and arthritis conditions.
On the direct benefits of beekeeping, the Project Officer said it was a source of employment, income generation, poverty reduction, nutrition and health and as a form of leisure.
He assured the farmers that GGV would provide bee-boxes for them in due course for beekeeping honey exercise.
Mr Benjamin Ntem, the Secretary to Adwumapa Cooperative Farmers in the Daboase and Mpohor area, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, thanked GGV for their livelihood alternative interventions such as the Village Saving and Loan ( VSAL) initiative, tree planting exercise and beekeeping honey training exercise to reduce poverty, keep farmers out of hardships and boost their economic status.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/ Christabel Addo