Fishermen embark on stingless bee farming
KOTA KINABALU: Fishermen from Kuala Penyu have embarked on stingless (kelulut) bee farming to generate sustainable income from kelulut honey, in addition to living off the sea.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the capacity building programme by Repsol Oil & Gas Malaysia Limited, Assistant Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Dr Daud Yusof said the initiative enabled participants to generate alternative income in an industry with potential that is steadily gaining traction.
“Trained with new skills in kelulut bee farming, the participants from the Kuala Penyu fishing community now have additional income to support their families, rather than depending on fishing activities alone.
“Cooperation and smart partnership among Repsol, Kuala Penyu District Office, Kuala Penyu Fisheries Department and MARDI Sabah have empowered participants with the ability and skill to rear bees for honey which is popular nowadays.
“Bee farming is an industry with potential and is easy to handle after acquiring the necessary skills, coupled with the desire for self-improvement. It is also a lucrative industry to be in,” he said in his closing remarks.
Daud added that the government welcomes contributions and community programmes from corporate bodies like Repsol, to complement its initiatives for community transformation in the city as well as rural areas.
Repsol manager (supply chain management) Shaik Mohamed Jamil Haja explained that the kelulut farming programme was initiated in line with the Repsol social investment theme of human resource development, to build capacity and develop new skills within target groups such as single mothers, women in rural areas and fishermen.
He affirmed that the programme was to support the government’s efforts to improve socio-economy and provide aid to marginalised groups for better livelihood.
“In January 2018, Repsol selected fishermen from Kuala Penyu to participate in this fully sponsored programme. We chose this particular industry because kelulut honey is gaining traction, especially since it is considered a ‘super food’.
“In a year, participants learned to supervise, care for and maintain a kelulut bee colony with advice and supervision from MARDI Sabah officers.
“As mentioned in the opening ceremony when we launched this programme, Repsol will provide cash prizes of RM1,000, RM700 and RM500 to top three winners after performance evaluation and results obtained in 12 months,” he said.
Shaik Mohamed said the cash prizes were considered incentives and encouraged participants to remain committed and responsible to further develop their business.
Also present at the closing ceremony was Kuala Penyu assemblyman Datuk Limus Jury.