Recently, we took a trip to visit some beekeeping farms of VINAPI in the two provinces of Hoa Binh and Phu Tho. Nguyen Van Niem, Deputy Director of VINAPI said that these farms are the company’s material areas in the north. He added that in these farms the process of beekeeping and exploiting honey is strictly supervised to ensure the quality of natural honey.
The company has so far expanded its material areas to remote areas, such as Ha Giang, Yen Bai, Son La and Lai Chau where there are immense forests. To have high quality materials for producing honey, the company regularly organises training courses to provide apiarists with the technology and skills so they can establish their own beekeeping farms that help improve their living standards.
 One of VINAPI’s beekeeping farms. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
The abundant source of natural forest flowers contributes to the production of pure honeydew. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Bee breeds raised by VINAPI are carefully selected. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
VINAPI’s cadres check the quality of bee colonies. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Nguyen Van Niem, VINAPI’s Vice Director (left) directly checks the quality of bees raised at a beekeeping farm in Phu Tho Province. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
A beekeeping farm in Hoa Binh Province during honey harvesting season. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
A bee frame full of honey. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Honey is extracted from honeycomb by a centrifugal spinning machine. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
Mint honey and longan flower honey are VINAPI’s key products which are exported to the US and the EU. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP
VINAPI’s products include forest honey, royal jelly, and the like. Photo: Viet Cuong/VNP |
Besides investment in building high-quality beekeeping farms, VINAPI has applied HACCP-ISO standards to the entire process of raising bees, producing, packaging and exporting products. The company invested in building a lab with modern equipment which is capable of analysing criteria to evaluate the quality of products for export, meeting the requirement of international customers. It also developed a centre for bee research and development to become the national beekeeping industry’s leading unit in the aspects of scientific research, training, consultancy and technology transferring. VINAPI is also the unit which consults with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to build and devise strategies for developing Vietnam’s beekeeping industry. To further expand the materials areas, the company also has developed a network to train beekeepers in other countries, such as Laos, Cambodia, Nepal, India, Malaysia, Senegal and Madagascar.
The company’s honey products, including royal jelly, are rich in protein, different kinds of monosaccarit, B-group vitamins, Vitamin B12 and other mineral ingredients which are good for people’s health. Therefore, the company’s products are exported to many countries, namely Japan, Europe, the US and Canada.
Defining export as one of its long-term development strategies, the company is now making contacts to establish a showroom in the US that promises to bring an opportunity for the development of Vietnam’s beekeeping industry.
| Vietnam National Apiculture Company – VINAPI Address: No.19 Truc Khe Street, Lang Ha, Dong Da, Hanoi Tel: 0438357853 Fax: 0438352725 Email: vinapi@hn.vnn.vn |
Story: Bich Van – Photos: Viet Cuong
Đăng ký: VietNam News