BEE FARMING

Are you looking for a business to do that you will not need to spend money on runnnining the business? That does not need daily human supervision? That you can start with just N22,000 – N220,000 and make between N105,000 – N1050000 within 3months? Then Bee keeping is it. The art and science of rearing bees is called apiculture. Apiculture is well developed in countries like Cuba, Greece,Isreal, India And China. In these countires it is taken as a serious source of high income and employment generation. If apiculture is well developed in Nigeria it can employ over 10,000 youths in each State of the Country. Apart from honey production there are other products which have both local and export potentials that can be obtained from bee keeping. These products are : Beewax, Royal Jelly, Bee Glue, Bee Bread And Bee Venom. The value of beekeeping Honey Honey consists mostly (± 80%) of sugars that are readily absorbed by the body. It is therefore an extremely suitable food for children, sick people and those who perform heavy manual labour. - it can be used as a sweetener for food and drink. - it can be used to treat superficial wounds and throat complaints. - it is a pleasant- tasting food and an effective medicine. - it has a high economic value and is therefore a good trade commodity. In 1984 world honey exports totaled 270,000 tonnes, of which 60% came from the tropics. Prices varied between US $ 0.7 and 2.5 per kg. However, local prices are usually much higher, sometimes even up to 10 times world market prices. In Nigeria a litre of honey is N2,500. Bees are social insects. They live in a group called colony. A colony of bees is made up of the Queen, the Drones and the Workers. The Queen controls and rules the colony. It has an odour which it uses to communicate with all members of the colony. It lay eggs that becomes the drones, the workers or another queen. A good queen will will lay about 2,500 – 3,000eggs per day. The Queen is fed by workers, guarded by worker soldiers and can be killed or abandoned by workers if found to be inefficient in laying eggs. To start your bee keeping business you need the following: Bee Hives, Hive Stand, Smoker, Bee Suit, A Pair Of Jungle Boots, A Pair Of Gloves, Swarm Catchers, Brush, Baiting Materials, Bee Veil, Knife, Lighter/Match Box, Hive Tool. All these can be obtained from CUAD. Who can be a Bee- keeper? Everyone can make money from bees. Bee keeping does not require large space, you don’t even need to own a land, you don’t need to feed your bees. You simply need to buy Beehives and place them in a safe place then you are on. Bees depend on flowers. Therefore an area with high flora level will support high honey production. Most of our abandoned land in our villages or surburb are suitable location to place your hives. Your backyard garden is also a suitable location for your hives. The CUAD has packaged a special Starter Pack Hive for beginners : A bee hive with bee colonies. You can keep bees as an interesting hobby, or as a main or an extra source of income. More information can be obtained at our last Saturday monthly training on bee keeping on our demonstration farm. Some basic facts about bees *Bees from the same hive visit about 225,000 flowers per day. One single bee usually visit between 50 to 1,000 flowers a day, but can visit up to several thousands . *Queens will lay almost 2,000 eggs a day at a rate of 5 or 6 in a minutes. Between 175,000 to 200,000eggs are laid per year. *The average hive temperature is 93.5degrees. · Bee wax production in most hives is about 11/2% to 2% of the total honey yield · Honey bees are the only insect that produce food for humans. · Just a single hive contains approximately 40,000 to 45,000 bees · During honey production periods a bees life span is about 6weeks. · Honey bees visit about 2million flowers to make 1kg of honey. · A bee travels an average of 1,600 round trips in order to produce 1ounce of honey: up to 6miles per trip. To produce 2pounds of honey, bees travel a distance equal to 4times around the earth. · Bees fly an average of 13-15mph.YAHAYA ABUBAKAR

RAISING ANIMALS IN YOUR BACKYARD FOR PERSONAL CONSUMPTION

IT is no longer uncommon for an urban family to keep a small flock of birds for supply of chicken and eggs. Besides poultry, there are several other small animals that can be raised, with even the smallest plots supporting a few carefully- chosen ones. Meat is usually the most expensive item on most families shopping list. Producing some of your meat won’t be a bad idea, since it is what we eat everyday. There are different small animals that can be raised at our backyards that can adequately meet these needs. Some of these are : rabbits, goats, poultry-broilers and layers, snails, quails, grass cutters, catfish, ducks, etc. Keeping small animals can be a source of fun and good food. In this article, we will focus on animal farming on a small scale, even in the city. Seven reasons why you need to produce your own meat. 1. It allows you to know what is in your meat. - Well, with all the concern about treatment of animals, you can be sure that your animals for meat and eggs are well cared for. You can be sure that they are indeed organic and free range. It's always nice to know what's on and in the food you are eating. 2. It provides an effective way of disposing leftover food – Leftover or excess food can be used to feed almost all the animals mentioned above. Your leftover rice, beans can be used to feed your chickens. Yam and plantain peels are also good food for your snails. No family should throw away any leftover food. In my house, I realised that my kids were always having leftovers which used to end up in the dust bin so I decided to buy a dog. Apart from food being given to my dog, we also supplement it with leftover food. My snails too take their own share. 3. It serves as an effective means of disposing our excess vegetables - Another reason to raise small animals is because they can also be coordinated with growing your own food. We often feed excess vegetables from the farm to our chickens and rabbits. It is a good way to supplement free range and commercial feed. Our scraps are turned into meat. 4. It creates marketplace alternatives - Raising your own small animals for meat is an example of creating alternatives to the regular market. When the marketplace doesn't provide what you want, how you want it, when you want it, and at a price you can to afford, this can serve as an alternative. 5. It helps save money – Since meat is usually the most expensive item on the shopping list, producing your own meat will help families a great deal in saving substantial amount of money. This month alone I was able to save N6,500 on meat because I decided to smoke some catfish from my farm and keep them in the freezer. It even saved the family from overconsumption of red meat. 6. It helps to improve your health –Red meat is the most available type of meat and most families are left with few alternatives. With some snails, rabbits, catfish at your backyard your consumption of red meat will be reduced. Moreover, eating snail and rabbit meats which are low in cholesterol will subsequently improve your health. 7. It helps you plan your monthly budget – In Nigeria, no one notifies you of increase in any produce or commodity. You wake up one morning and discover that the price of a product has doubled. For example a crate of eggs that I used to buy for N500 suddenly become N900 after the festive season. With a small flock of egg- producing birds, you are sure to maintain your budget for the month. Next week, we will be discussing different ways that we can use to keep animals on a small scale at our backyard. Happy faming! WRITTEN BY:YAHAYA ABUBAKAR

WHY YOU SHOULD GROW YOUR FOOD

1. Your farm food tastes better - You can taste the difference. Fresh food simply tastes better. Your fresh vegetables will taste better than the ones bought from the market.
2. Local produce is better for you - The fresher the produce, the more nutrients it retains. Food picked right from the ground and eaten will be healthier for you than food that has traveled thousands of miles just to sit at the market.
3. Backyard farms can cost less - On average, a four-person family spends around N500 a week on tomatoes, pepper and vegetables at the market. To start your vegetable backyard farm costs less than N500, and you begin to harvest your leafy vegetables in less than 30 days. Simply do a calculation on how much you spend on buying tomatoes, pepper and vegetables and compare
it to how much you will need to start a small vegetable garden in your compound.
To start a small vegetable garden all you need are the seeds, which you might decide to buy or get from the left over of the ones you bought from the market. Then you are on!.
4.You know where your food is coming from - Using ethical, chemical-free
techniques to keep your backyard vegetable farm flourishing. An average piece of food bought in the market will touch at least six sets of hands before reaching your table. Food from your yard is solely a relationship between you and the earth. With all the current health and food safety issues, the less hands touching your food the better.
Eating from your yard also reduces harmful emissions from the chemicals and pesticides used to accelerate plant growth and extend shelf life. You will be surprised that some of the vegetables bought from the markets were harvested from dirty and polluted environments. In the United States, it is believed that backyard farms make a lighter carbon footprint i.e on average, food travels 1,500 miles from the farm to your dinner table, and every calorie of food eaten requires 10 times the fossil fuel to produce, distribute, travel, and refrigerate.
5. Helps you save money – The prices of vegetables and other foodstuff are on the increase. Families spend a lot of money on food. A small garden in your compound will enable you save some money. Also it costs you some money to move from your home to the market.Remember the price of fuel is on the increase.
6. Your backyard farm gives more variety - As you plan your garden, decide to grow different types of vegetables based on your family preferences. Growing different varieties will result in more interesting dishes for the family.
8. Be part of building a self-sufficient Nigeria - Everyone involved in food production, either on a small scale or large scale, believes in ensuring food security in the country. Households food security must be achieved, for us to have an hunger free Nigeria.
9. Backyard farms build a stronger community. Idea and recipe exchanges, food drives, and a variety of community-based
relationships will develop from owning a backyard farm. You might have to teach your neighbour some tips on your food production processes. Excess vegetables might be given out to your neighbour or create a produce exchange with your neighbours.
10. A backyard farm is an investment in your future. Controlling your food source, learning from it, and teaching your children and neighbors how to be more self- reliant is good for everyone involved. With a little work, sun, and water, your backyard farm will always produce food: a basic necessity, regardless of the economy.
Happy farming. Stay blessed