Industrial beekeeping

In addition to amateur breeding of bees, there is also the technology of industrial beekeeping. Thanks to production technologies, it becomes possible to obtain much more finished products from one apiary, while not requiring a lot of labor to work.

Despite the fact that this type of business in Our Country is not fully professionally developed, start-up entrepreneurs have prospects to find their niche and enter the world market. Professional domestic beekeeping in large-scale production will allow the supply of finished products not only within the country, but also far beyond its borders.

The state of industrial beekeeping today

Today, there is industrial beekeeping in Our Country, but, unfortunately, it is not export-oriented. The target audience is still the domestic market. Despite the fact that in Our Country there are all conditions for professional breeding of bees and obtaining high quality finished products, this system is rather poorly developed. At the moment, the available reserves are used poorly and not in full. That is why other countries easily bypass Our Country in the production of honey on an industrial scale.

Professional beekeeping: prospects for the development of the industry

If you are professionally engaged in the maintenance of the apiary, then there is every chance to enter the world market. Every year, about 50000 tons of honey are mined in Our Country, as a result of which the country surpasses even Austria in terms of the amount of products received.

If we focus on the domestic market, then honey is very popular and in demand. If you organize everything professionally and make the apiary really large-scale, then you can easily export products. In this case, it is important to do everything right: register as an individual entrepreneur or LLC, approach the business as responsibly and professionally as possible.

Goals and objectives of industrial beekeeping

Each production, regardless of scale, has goals and objectives, professional beekeeping in this case is no exception. The main goal of any beekeeper is to obtain and further sell honey and related products.

To conduct a full-fledged activity, it will be necessary to equip the apiary in accordance with all the rules, purchase bees, thanks to which it will be possible to produce products in large quantities and sell after the end of the honey collection.

The main tasks in this case are:

• technical support of the apiary;
• choice of bees;
• further maintenance of bee colonies in suitable conditions for them;
• search for channels for the sale of finished products.

What are the benefits of professional beekeeping?

Professional production has a number of advantages, among which are:

• obtaining additional income if you combine several types of activities at the same time, since beekeeping is a seasonal business;
• independent production of honey allows you to reduce the cost of finished products;
• for the period of honey collection, it is possible to conclude an agreement for the lease of agricultural land, as a result of which the bees will not only collect nectar, but also pollinate plants;
• if you adhere to a certain technology, then you can make almost all work automated;
• if necessary, you can increase the size of the apiary, using your own bees for this.

If you approach the matter responsibly, then there will be an opportunity to receive a good income.

Conditions for organizing an industrial apiary

When planning to engage in professional entrepreneurial activities and open your own apiary in large-scale production, it is important to understand that this business is seasonal. This is due to the fact that the maximum collection of honey is carried out by bees from April to August.

As a rule, many works are automated, but it is recommended to hire employees for auxiliary and mechanical activities. If all processes in the apiary are mechanical, then a minimum of people will be required to manage the economy.

In order for the professional type of activity for the maintenance of the apiary to function normally, you will need:

• install equipment that will be used to pump out honey, process secondary raw materials, such as wax;
• for a particular region, a suitable type of bee must be selected;
• it is important to change the queen bee in a timely manner;
• find reliable suppliers who will provide feed and materials necessary for work;
• quality bee care will allow you to get high quality products.

In order for this type of business to be not only professional, but also legal, it is worth going through the registration process as an individual entrepreneur or LLC.

Industrial apiary equipment

When it comes to large-scale production, industrial beekeeping equipment should resemble a conveyor type of work. In this case, it is not recommended to use amateur technology. As professional equipment for arranging an apiary on an industrial scale, mechanisms will be required that allow:

• build up frames and hardware;
• print honeycomb frames;
• collect pollen, perga, propolis, royal jelly;
• pump out honey;
• process wax;
• produce wax.

For other types of work, as a rule, employees are hired. In most cases, 1 person can serve about 1000 hives.

Location and dimensions of the industrial apiary

If you plan to conduct activities in the field of industrial production, then you need to be prepared for the fact that there should be from 300 to 5000 hives in the apiary. Many professional beekeepers claim that for a large farm, at least 500 bee colonies are required, the only way to get a good level of income. At the same time, there are organizations that serve up to 15 bee colonies at the same time.

If we talk about the advantages of this type of activity, then industrial-scale production allows you to expand gradually using your own resources. If you do layering in a timely manner, then you can immediately achieve several goals:

• make the existing bee colony stronger;
• significantly increase the number of individuals.

If necessary, you can independently engage in selection work, thereby expanding the apiary. Making beekeeping a professional activity, it is worth taking care of the conditions for keeping bees in advance and choosing a site where the hives will be located.

On the territory of Our Country there are a large number of regions in which products differ in taste, which is facilitated by the climate and growing plants. The most popular are the territories of Altai, Perm, Bashkiria, Krasnodar.

Working staff

It is important to understand that in order to make a profit, it is necessary that the labor costs pay off in full. To do this, it is recommended to adhere to a certain scheme, as a result of which the cost of finished products will be several times lower than the planned income. It is best that the apiary is serviced by machines, not by people.

If you still plan to hire employees, then you need to calculate in advance the required number of people who will be busy servicing the apiary. As a rule, 1000 hives can be served by 1 person, but on condition that all processes are fully automated. At the same time, there are large-scale production facilities where 600 people are involved in servicing 4 hives.

For work, it is best to hire professionals who understand how honey is collected, by what principle bees live and other nuances. In order for the work to be coordinated, everyone must be responsible for something specific. For example, a person engaged only in transportation must be able to drive a vehicle and navigate the terrain. The construction team must understand how to build hives and utility rooms.

Possible risks

Many beekeepers tend to wonder whether it is profitable to keep their own apiary, what are the prospects for the development of professional beekeeping on an industrial scale, is there a risk. As practice shows, keeping your own apiaries is a fairly profitable activity.

It is important to take into account that in the conduct of any activity there are pitfalls and risks that do not depend on the beekeeper, but at the same time can reduce all efforts to develop the business to zero:

• natural disasters;
• there was a fire in the apiary;
• a theft has occurred;
• the bee family left the hive and flew away.

The rest of the benefits of maintaining a professional beekeeping business depend on the beekeeper himself. As a rule, the first step is to find distribution channels and supply high-quality products for sale, otherwise honey will not be popular with consumers and there will be no profit.

Conclusion

The technology of industrial beekeeping and further development are completely dependent on the human factor. Undoubtedly, weather conditions can affect the quality and quantity of the collected raw materials, but if the work is organized correctly, then the end result of large-scale work can exceed all expectations. If you plan to engage in this type of activity professionally, then you should approach the matter responsibly, while arranging and maintaining a large-scale apiary will require a lot of effort, time and money.