Nowadays, honey bees as the guardians of nature have decreased their productivity. Environmental issues such as the use of pesticides, forest fires, and the use of chemical fertilizers pose serious challenges to beekeeping.
“30-40% of agricultural production will be disrupted if the bees are gone. Due to the use of pesticides, bees lose their ability to fly as far as 2 km. Therefore, we must become part of the prosperity of the earth through the development of beekeeping science,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Animal Science (FAS) UGM, Prof. Dr. Ir. Ali Agus, DAA., DEA., IPU when giving a speech at the National Seminar on Tropical Beekeeping, Wednesday (9/25) at FAS UGM.
Explained by Ali, Indonesia is a mega biodiversity country where the growth of various plants is an extraordinary source for bees, both wild and aquaculture. Therefore, the potential for honey bee production is definitely higher.
“In Apimondia, the international beekeepers association, even has artificial insemination technology for honey bees. Therefore, we are excited to invite animal science faculties throughout Indonesia to develop the science of beekeeping combined with integrated farming. FAS UGM has made bees as an elective subject at faculty level and is planned to be an elective subject at UGM,” Ali said.
Ali added, all products produced by bees can be used, ranging from honey, royal jelly, propolis, venom, bee pollen, and wax. Therefore, humans must become part of the prosperity of the earth, namely by avoiding the use of pesticides or planting plants that produce flowers so that the bees grow again and ultimately restore the preservation of nature.
Bees Farming Seminar
The Tropical Bees Farming Seminar was organized by the FAS UGM with the theme “Optimizing the Role of Tropical Bees and Its Products to Improve Food Security and Human Health”.
“We present 5 speakers who deliver material on strategies to improve the competitiveness of researchers in conducting research and the role and contribution of the latest research related to beekeeping,” said Satyaguna Rakhmatullah, S.Pt., M.Sc. as chairman of the seminar committee.
Satyaguna hopes that the seminar will be able to create a good research atmosphere and a strong, innovative, sustainable and quality research culture in accordance with the development of beekeeping science and technology. (Nadia)