Precision Apiculture In Bangladesh: Opportunities And Challenges

ABSTRACT: Apiculture has shown considerable development in honey bee rearing, and honey and other byproducts manufacturing that lead to an increase in pollination and conservation of the ecosystem. Precision apiculture (PA) is an apiary management strategy based on the monitoring of individual bee colony using a set of instrumentation to minimize resource consumption and maximize the productivity of apiculture. Bangladesh follows artisanal beekeeping methods for apiculture. The general rearing techniques are fixed and migratory rearing. Currently, hives and breeding programs are used as equipment for colonization and multiplication of the bees. Various information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be used in the beekeeping to partly support the beekeepers by implementation of automatic or semi-automatic solutions for the monitoring of bee colony. In addition, an Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless sensor network-based technology could be experimented for the promotion of a low-cost precision apiculture (PA). However, PA systems should be optimized by searching for appropriate combinations of different sensors, and corresponding decision support systems that provide convenient, reliable and cost-efficient solutions. The development and specifications of a PA system should consider business interest, distance to the apiary, possible risk and other peculiarities. The aim of this report is to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the introduction of PA system for enhancing productivity in apiculture in a profitable and sustainable manners in Bangladesh. 

Keywords: ICT, IoT, honey production, beekeeping, sustainable apiculture