Rent of bees helps produce more apples, avocados and melons
André Cabette Fábio
the UOL, in Sao Paulo
Farmers are renting hives of bees breeders –called beekeepers– to increase production of fruits like apple, avocado and melon. In the south, it is estimated that 60 thousand hives are rented every year for apple growers.
The bees take care of pollination of flowers, that is the transfer of pollen between them and leading to the formation of the fruit. The wind, other insects and even bats also perform the task, but bees are the main pollinators.
In addition to receiving for the service to fruit –R $ 50 a R$ 70 per hive, in the case of apple orchards–, the bee breeders also profit from the sale of the honey produced in the period.
We US, beekeepers get to receive up to $ 150 (R$ 358) per hive for almond pollination, says the president of CBA (Brazilian Confederation of Beekeepers).
apple production is dependent on the work done by insects
Apple trees are completely dependent on insect pollination to bear fruit, says Professor Afonso Inácio Orth, the course of Agronomy UFSC (Federal University of Santa Catarina).
He says that, no Status, It is customary to place two or three bee hives per hectare, which yields 35 tons of apples in the area. An experiment done by UFSC six hives per hectare productivity did jump 79 tons, Orth says.
Joselmar Tonial, who keeps bees from 1996, in Fraiburgo (SC), is about 1.600 hives, renting at the time of apple blossom. Total, grosses over R $ 100 thousand with the rental of bee boxes every season.
He informs that the rent lasts about a month, and gets around 20 of September, with the rise of flowering. Tonial provides service to a small producer and the Renar, Traditional business sector.
The amount of the monthly rent of each beehive (R$ 65) accounts for more than 60% than she surrenders with honey throughout the year (R$ 104). “As the region is cold and do not have flowers all year, We not billed both honey”, the firm.
Producers melon and avocado also rent bees
Orth, da UFSC, also highlights that 10 thousand 15 thousand hives are used every year in melon cultivation in Mossoro (RN), though not know how to inform local beekeepers receive the rent.
no Southeast, a farm Jaguacy, largest exporter of the country avocados, also uses bees for two decades to get over 300 tons of fruit per year in an area of 500 hectares in Bauru (SP).
Para tub ha, They are used two hives for two months, from August, when bloom flowers. “Insects like flies also pollinate the flowers, but bees are more efficient”, says Victor Carvalho Falanghe, a partner at Jaguacy.
The company hires ten beekeepers per year, providing together 850 beehives, at a monthly cost of R $ 30 per hive. Others 150 They come from the farm, having a particular beekeeping.
Retired university professor Guerino Ninin rent your 50 hives for Jaguacy from 2010. According to him, the amount received covers only the cost of shipping boxes. “I do not have much income with rent, but the initiative is interesting”, says.
The highest yield comes from a ton of honey produced per year, sold for up to R $ 14 per kilo in the tent that the Association of Bauru Beekeepers holds a fair on Sunday mornings, in the city center.
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