Bee Zaagar - Apiary and Beekeeping News

Bee-keeping project for Pulau Sebatik

Tawau: A bee-keeping project will be implemented in Pulau Sebatik, off the east coast of Sabah, for the benefit of the residents who are mostly poor.

Sebatik Assemblyman Datuk Dr Haji Patawari Haji Patawe said the honey-producing project would be carried out with the co-operation of the Koperasi Pembangunan Desa (KPD), a State Government agency.

He said the project would apply the bee-keeping concept adopted in three northern districts of Sabah, namely Kota Marudu, Kudat and Pitas, which had been involved in the activity for 10 years.

"We want to introduce the project in Pulau Sebatik because it has proven to have raised the social status of the people involved in the activity in Kota Marudu, Kudat and Pitas.

"I was informed that the income of the participants in the three districts is now around RM2,000 a month. This is lucrative," he said.

Pulau Sebatik is located near the border with East Kalimantan. The majority of the people are farmers and fishermen.

To raise the social status of the residents, a salted fish project was implemented, along with the introduction of modern fishing technology.

Dr Patawari said two officers from the co-operative would come to Pulau Sebatik on July 8 to carry out a study on the proposed project and prepare a comprehensive report.

He said in the initial stage, the pilot project would involve a certain number of residents and, if successful, it would be expanded to involve more of the residents.

"The project will be implemented on contract with the beekeepers whereby the co-operative will provide them advice and purchase the honey they produce," he said.- Bernama