From page 26
strong, and healthy. There are
no passengers. The success of
keeping bees is largely
dependant on the following
aspects.
K Good management
strategies,
K Good foraging sites.
K Honest, reliable, trained
staff,
K Good record keeping,
K A knowledge of crops and
the indigenous flora flowering
times,
BEEKEEPING
We illustrate the operating finances of a
beekeeper of 200 hives in various
situations, non-migratory (ie not offering
agricultural pollenation services) and
migratory, as well as an outline of the
capital costs involved at the outset
K Maintenance of hives,
K Maintenance of the
swarms to optimum strength
at all times,
K Regular swarm replace-
ment programmes,
K Well constructed apiary
Table 1. A non-migratory beekeeping operation,
housing the hives on a site that yields two crops
annually.
Expected honey yield: 200 hives at 25kg/hive
= 5 000kg =10 000 bottles @ R40/bottle
Therefore total revenue
R 400 000
Anticipated costs:
20% of turnover on petrol and transport
R80 000
10% on casual wages
R40 000
16% on bottles: 10 000@ R6.00
R60 000
Other
R10 000
Total costs = 46% of turnover
R190 000
Therefore total net income
R210 000
* Should the beekeeper elect to sell his
honey in bulk: 5 000kg sold at R32 per/kg:
Total revenue only
R160 000
sites or good secure sites,
K A good relationship with
farmers,
K A consistent market outlet
for the honey sales,
K Friendship with other
beekeepers by joining a local
beekeeper's association.
Here is an idea of the
numbers involved, and the
potential for income, of an
operation totalling 200 hives.
Labour will comprise the
beekeeper plus a part time,
paid assistant.
Let us assume that the
beekeeper chooses a non-
migratory operation, housing
his hives on a site that yields
two crops annually. The
calculations are set out in
Table 1.
27
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This illustrates that one
should sell in bottles only.
(Commercial bottlers are
importing honey at
R17.00/kg plus radiation
costs, and will only pay
R32/kg for local honey.)
Table 2 illustrates the
calculations for a non-
migratory keeper of 200
hives on one annual crop-
ping.
Table 3 illustrates the
calculation for a migratory
keeper of 200 hives yielding
one cropping annually.
This illustrates that at a level
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