Problems and Prospects of Apiculture in Bangladesh: A Review

Abstract

Honey bees are significant economic resource as commercial producers of bee products, such as honey, beeswax, pollen, venom, and royal jelly. It plays a pivotal role in pollination, environment conservation, and the maintenance of biodiversity. Although Bangladesh has a favorable ecological condition for beekeeping, only a fraction of its potential is being utilized. To identify the reasons behind it, this paper reviews the socioeconomic status of the beekeepers, the problems faced by them in rearing honey bees, and in the processing and marketing of bee products. It also highlights the modern technologies that can be adopted to improve the beekeeping sector. Reviewed literature shed light on the constraints in beekeeping as poor educational status, inadequate training facilities, and lack of utilization of modern scientific instruments. This situation is further worsened by the adverse effects of pests, diseases, and the indiscriminate use of pesticides in bee flora. Furthermore, the lack of modern technologies to extract the byproducts, added with poor marketing strategies, hinders potential income in local and foreign markets. Along with the introduction of up-to-date tools and technologies, the government and non-government organizations should collaborate to alleviate the threats faced by this sector to make it more profitable.