By Ebele Orakpo
Dr Chidi Akunne is a Consultant Apiarist and senior lecturer in the Department of Zoology and Entomology Option, Nnamdi Azikiwe University. In this chat with Financial Vanguard in Awka recently, he spoke on the Modified Langstroth Hive, honey wine and other products, noting that honey can help provide the much needed employment as well as food security.
Excerpts:
The Beehive:
Dr. Akunne
According to Dr. Akunne, he and his friend, Chiegele Akpoke invented the Modified Langstroth Hive for beekeeping and honey production. “The beehive has two sections – the lower or brood chamber and the upper or super chamber. The brood chamber is where the queen bee and young ones reside while the upper chamber or super is for honey production.
“The advantage the Modified Langstroth Hive has over others is that both chambers (brood and super) are on the same side, affording the super chamber more space to store honey. “Through beekeeping or apiculture, we can have honey as our primary product apart from beeswax used for candle making, paint making, shoe polish, pharmaceutical and therapeutic purposes as well as food.”
Tonic wine:
“I also made honey tonic wine which is more medicinal than the table wine. Other products are bee propolis which is even more medicinal than the honey people clamour for. So beekeeping/honey production is purely for economic empowerment especially for the youth and young entrepreneurs.”
Job creation:
“Today, we talk about unemployment so beekeeping/honey production is really a venture that people can engage in small scale to curb the problem of unemployment. It empowers the youths, even the women are involved.
“Honey is good food for everybody – the young and the old as well as for health purposes. As we know, today in Nigeria, healthcare is not easily accessible but with honey, you can solve a lot of health Click here to read more
Source:: Vanguard
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