Sabah to promote stingless bees industry

Deputy chief minister Yahya Hussin says honey of the stingless bee has high health and medicinal value.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Department of Agriculture will request for funds from the federal government to start a project to rear stingless bees next year, the state assembly heard today.

Stingless bees, whose honey has high health and medicinal value, were cultivated at the Sabah Agriculture Park in 2016 as a side programme to pollinate coconuts and fruits, state Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Yahya Hussin said.

“Starting from 2018, the Department of Agriculture will apply for an allocation from the federal government to implement the stingless bees project,” Yahya said in his reply to a question from Ahmad Bujang (Umno-Sindumin).

Yahya, who is also deputy chief minister, said the Rural Development Corporation (KPD) would train contract participants to cultivate the bees in Sikuati, Kudat, where KPD operated its Honey Bee Centre.

“Individuals or groups planning to rear stingless bees can contact the KPD to get training,” he said

“The Department of Agriculture has also been tasked to supervise the development of this industry by giving advice, training and quarantine services to monitor the entry of stingless bees from outside Sabah,” he said.

The industry, according to Yahya, is gaining popularity because of its health and medicinal benefits.

On Sept 18, 2016, the federal ministry of agriculture and agro-based industry branded stingless bees as the first “superfood” in Malaysia and planned to promote it internationally to help increase national revenue.

In October 2016, Sabah took part in the “Kelulut (stingless bees) Walk” as part of the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism Festival 2016 promotion. - FMT