Aspects of apiculture: interviews with beekeepers of the Jequitinhonha River Valley Cooperative

• Autor(a) principal: Gonçalves, Juliana Rezende Sá Miranda
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Santos, Eliane Macedo Sobrinho, Santos, Hércules Otacílio, Costa, Igor Cardos, Paixão, Débora Martins, Alves, Janainne Nunes, Neiva, Ricardo Jardim, Costa, Kattyanne de Souza
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Caderno de Ciências Agrárias (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://periodicos.ufmg.br/index.php/ccaufmg/article/view/15346
• topic: Vale do Jequitinhonha; Diagnóstico; Produtos apícolas; Jequitinhonha River Valley; Diagnosis; Bee products

This study aimed to raise aspects of apiculture through interviews with some beekeepers of the  Jequitinhonha River  Valley Apiculture Cooperative. It is a descriptive-exploratory study. It was found that most beekeepers are over 49 years old and over 72% of respondents have incomplete elementary school. In 36% of the producing families, there is more than one member involved in the activity and the commercialization of honey was declared as the main sour ce of income by 64% of those approached. However, apiculture is practiced using both family and unfamiliar labor. Concerning the apiculture pasture, beekeepers reported a large share of aroeira and sylvatic flowering, with low yields per hive, totaling volumes of less than 500kg of honey in 2016. However, three beekeepers are able to produce more than 25 kg. honey by beehive and there are at least six beekeepers who have managed to enter production in regional markets and supermarkets. Our data showed a reduced number of total beehives in the apiaries, among which a significant percentage perform the removal of honey from the melgueiras in the so-called “honey house”. As for pest control, this is carried out by only six of the beekeepers. Importantly, most beekeepers do not adopt the use of winter feeding. From the survey conducted so far, it can be concluded that apiculture in the region is still characterized by rudimentary and shy practice.