On April 9th, the 9th Membership Representative Meeting of Apiculture Society of Hubei Province (ASHP) and its 2023 Academic Symposium were held at Huazhong Agricultural University (HZAU). The experts and beekeepers were glued to the “honey industry” for development. The various bee products at the event attracted teachers and students to visit and taste.
Apiculture is not only a green and low-carbon industry that helps conserve biodiversity and enhances crop yields, but also a promising business to promote rural revitalization. Hubei’s bee industry holds a significant position in the country, where the export of bee products has once ranked 1st nationwide for over ten consecutive years. Besides, as a major rapeseed province with a planting area of nearly 18 million mu, Hubei Province can provide a vast resource of nectar and pollen for bees. And among the national reserves for Apis cerana, Shennongjia Forestry District in Hubei stands out as the only one in central China.
With a history of 44 years, ASHP plays a vital role in the beekeeping industry. In response to the opportunities and challenges in the bee industry in Hubei, the meeting focused on bee-keeping technologies and quality safety of bee products. A new council was elected.
Yao Jianglin (deputy secretary of HZAU party committee) addressed the meeting. He pointed out that having been affiliated to HZAU since Nov. 2017, ASHP continues to promote apiculture sci-tech innovation and carry out a series of events including academic exchanges, popular science education, recommendations, technical training, social services, and industry assistance. It has provided substantial academic and sci-tech support for the innovative development of the bee industry. He hoped that the new council could make new achievements in leading and boosting the sci-tech innovation of apiculture in not only Hubei but the whole country.
Prof. Chen Huanchun (Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering) placed emphasis on the selection and cultivation of high-quality and high-yielding bee breeds, the disease and pest control, and the environment construction to further develop the beekeeping industry. Meanwhile, equal attention should be paid to the bee product development and processing, to explore the functional components and nutrients of honey and launch more healthy products.
Up to now, the number of ASHP members has increased to 497, with a growing proportion of young researchers from universities and institutes in addition to industry experts and technicians. The society actively engages in academic exchange and science popularization activities as a leading role. Comprehensive industry research is conducted to seek the sustainable development path for Hubei’s apiculture. It also satisfies the industry’s needs by guiding beekeeping process and organizing various training to advance technologies. Enterprises are encouraged to produce high-quality bee products, facilitating the upgrading of the industry. The society also improves Hubei’s beekeeping technology as well as its influence by organizing scientific research.
Li Xiang (chairman of ASHP) gives a report.
Li Xiang introduced that, over the past five years, ASHP has conducted scientific research in multiple directions, including the conservation and utilization of bee genetic resources, genetic identification and evaluation, resistance breeding and disease prevention, efficient and healthy breeding technology - intelligent demonstration, conservation and utilization of nectar plants, identification, traceability and safety of bee products, product efficacy and its mechanism, as well as the development of related products. ASHP will continue to take the responsibility of communication and cooperation, and further promote sci-tech research and innovation, contributing to the high-quality development of apiculture in Hubei Province.
Zeng Zhijiang (vice chairman of Apicultural Science Association of China) and Wu Liming (deputy director of Institute of Apicultural Research, CAAS) delivered reports respectively on the techniques of rearing queen bees without migration, and the identification and quality improvement of distinctive honey.
During the meeting, more than ten apicultural companies exhibited their bee products like honey, royal jelly and pollen for visitors to taste.
Source: http://news.hzau.edu.cn/2023/0410/66132.shtml
Translated by: Yang Jiazhen
Supervised by: Xie Lujie
