Thinking about developing your own business, each person considers many options. Ideal if the profit begins to bring a small hobby. Take, for example, beekeeping in Ukraine as a business. Most often, a large, high-income apiary begins with two or three hives standing on the grandfather’s site. It was there, watching with what passion grandfather cares for bees, young people understand that this activity can bring not only pleasure, but also stable profit.
Beekeeping in Ukraine
The main wealth of Ukraine is fertile soils, allowing you to get high yields. Huge territories are reserved for various crops. This means that there will always be work for bees. That is why beekeeping in Ukraine is actively developing. It is enough to say that Ukraine has stably settled in the top five countries of the world, with the high development of this industry.
Various exhibitions, thematic conferences are held annually and a lot of specialized literature is published to help novice beekeepers. Finding information is not at all difficult. The main thing is to take into account geographical features and choose the breed of bees correctly.
Beekeeping in Ukraine is engaged not only in the production of honey, but also in the sale of wax, pollen, royal jelly, bee venom and even bee subpestilence. It turns out that not only the food and agricultural industries, but also the cosmetic industry and pharmacology are interested in the development of this business.
Modern methods of bee divorce in Ukraine
Ukraine has made an invaluable contribution to the development of the world science of bees. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Ukrainian beekeeper Petr Prokopovich invented a frame hive, which is still used today in apiaries around the world.
Beekeeping in Ukraine is developing according to four main methods:
- Roya.
- Artificial swarming method.
- The principle of free swarming.
- Sectional approach.
Each of these methods has its loyal fans.
The main breeds of bees
Based on the climatic conditions of the country, the main breeds of bees in Ukraine are: Ukrainian steppe, Carpathian, Polessky subspecies of Central Russian bees. All these are large groups of families of the same origin, having the same morphological, physiological and economically useful traits within the groups.
Usually the main indicator for choosing a breed is not productivity, but adaptability to wintering in a particular climate. So, the Carpathian bee is ideally suited for wintering in the Carpathian mountains. But the steppe may not survive the frosty winter in the Carpathians, so it is bred in other regions of Ukraine.
How to start a business development
Any serious business starts with a business plan. This is the law. Despite the fact that beekeeping in Ukraine is a profitable occupation, you cannot do without risk and benefit assessment. So, if you are ready to do beekeeping on an industrial scale, then you need to contact specialists or work through this issue yourself.
Keep in mind that you will need funds not only for the purchase of bees. Each apiary has a certain set of equipment, without which it is impossible to do. These are special suits for beekeepers, facial nets, fumes, honey extractor, beehives, frames and much more.
It is important to take into account the presence of a melliferous forage base and the possibility of arranging mobile hives. So, for example, beekeeping in the south of Ukraine can get the main honey collection in late May with white acacia. And then drive the hives to the fields of sunflower or buckwheat, it will be June-August.
Having calculated the expenditure and revenue, it will be possible to conclude that it is advisable to invest in such a business.
Help for a novice beekeeper
Primary knowledge can be obtained from books, websites or training videos. But some go the other way, asking questions of interest in various thematic forums. Many forums are international, they allow you to master the knowledge of different regions of the world, so to speak, beekeeping without borders. Ukraine has enough materials to interest honey producers in all countries, so the answers to questions from Ukrainian experts are highly appreciated by beginners.
The legislative framework
Since the development of beekeeping in Ukraine is an important task, there is a legislative framework regulating relations in this industry. The law "On beekeeping" was adopted in 2013, it clarifies the terms and conditions, the rules for the placement of apiaries and regionalization of breeds, sets the veterinary and sanitary standards for persons selling honey and beekeeping products. In addition, the law establishes control over the use of pesticides and pesticides on plantations of honey plants. Every beginner beekeeper who is ready to engage in this business on an industrial scale needs to familiarize himself with the provisions of the law "On Beekeeping" in order to avoid serious mistakes.