The Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) of the University, has donated two sets of Beekeeping equipment with complete set of costumes to the farming community of Ijo-Agbe in Opeji, Odeda Local Government area of Ogun State. The donation was done during a training workshop on “Modern Beekeeping and Medicinal Value of Honey for Farmers”, drawn from Ijo-Agbe, Ilawo, Boonu-Ola, Tigba, as well as participants from Olorunsogo, Asebi-Sotan Titun, Opeji villages and staff of the Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP).
The Director of AMREC, Professor Carolyn Afolami, stressed the need to train farmers on ways of diversifying their resources, in order to reduce the risks associated with absolute dependence on conventional crop and animal production, as sources of income. She stated that Beekeeping required little land space and would be an ideal enterprise for small scale and resource-poor farmers, stating that the training would further boost the population of Beekeeping farmers and increase the production of adequate quantity and quality honey to meet the increasing demand of consumers and industries. She said, apart from the environmental benefits of increasing yield through pollination by bees, Beekeepers would also enjoy additional economic benefits of supplying raw materials for the production of alcoholic beverages, feed for livestock, drug ingredients and cosmetics, among others.
Presenting the equipment, the Programme Leader, Training and Farm Demonstrations (TFD) of AMREC, Dr. Jacob Olaoye, emphasised that 60 percent of proceeds from the beehives will be kept by the community for other agricultural pursuits, while the remaining 40 percent would come to AMREC, to further empower other communities. Participants were taken on different training modules like “Apiary Selection, Establishment and Management”, by Dr. Adedoyin Osipitan; “Honey and Traditions, Medicinal Uses and Beekeeping Practice”, by Professor Samuel Oluwalana and “Value Addition, Packaging and Marketing of Bee Hive Products”, by Dr. Olufunmilayo Oluwalana.
