BY INDY MAEALASIA
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) has received a new report on the state of the local bee industry, presented during World Bee Day celebrations held on Tuesday.
The report was delivered by James Kana, Project Coordinator at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and highlights both the challenges and opportunities currently facing beekeepers in the Solomon Islands.
“The findings are interesting because we haven’t previously had a clear picture of the current state of the bee sector,” Kana said.
Conducted in October 2024, the report documents the widespread presence of the Small Asian Honey Bee (Apis cerana) across the country. However, the species was not recorded on Ulawa Island and its status remains unknown on Temotu.
One of the main concerns raised is that Apis cerana may be compromising the quality and viability of queen bees in the Solomon Islands. This is further heightened by the general lack of proper queen bee rearing practices among local beekeepers.
Another significant finding is the widespread presence of Varroa jacobsoni, a species of mite that parasites the Asian Honey Bee which is also widely detected across the country.
“All location and 100% of colonies inspected have active varroa colonized inspected excluding Ulawa,” the report revealed.
Kana expressed hope that the findings outlined in the report will encourage the government, beekeepers and the wider industry to work together to address the issues identified.
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