Qiongzhong celebrates World Bee Day for industrial development

The main venue activities for World Bee Day were held at Qiongzhong Li and Miao autonomous county on May 20. [Photo by Xu Zhizhuan/news.cn]

The Qiongzhong Li and Miao autonomous county in Hainan province celebrated World Bee Day on May 20 together with 89 branch venues in 22 provinces and cities nationwide.

As the main venue, Qiongzhong will hold a series of activities until May 23, including a bee adoption poverty relief launch ceremony, a bee culture and knowledge science popularization activity, sales exhibitions of bee products and related cultural tourism products, the Qiongzhong Apiculture Development Summit Forum, and the Hainan Apiculture Academy symposium.

The organizing committee will also invite distinguished guests, experts and bee keepers to conduct a field study at bee farms and a bee cultural village in Qiongzhong to exchange beekeeping techniques. All these activities aim to promote the ideas of loving bees, protecting the earth and maintaining human health.

They were jointly sponsored by the Asian Apicultural Association, the Apicultural Science Association of China and the National Apicultural Technology System, and organized by Qiongzhong Li and the Miao autonomous county people's government, Hainan Apiculture Academy, and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences Environment and Plant Protection Institute.

Spectators take part in the activities. [Photo by Xu Zhizhuan/news.cn]

According to Wang Qionglong, head of Qiongzhong county, who spoke at the opening ceremony, Qiongzhong has given full play to its favorable ecological environment and abundant bee pollen resources to vigorously develop apiculture. At present, over 4,000 bee-keeping households have cultivated 61,000 bee hives, which can generate an annual output of 457,500 kg of honey. The county now has 11 apiculture demonstration bases and 19 cooperatives.

Eighty-five percent of the world's major crops rely on insect pollination and bees contribute more than any other insect species. They produce an annual yield of $210 billion, amounting to 9.5 percent of global edible agricultural products. China has become the largest apiculture country and the annual output and export volume of honey and royal jelly all rank first worldwide. Apiculture has become an important part of China's animal husbandry with about nine million hives in production.

A spectator tastes honey produced in Qiongzhong Li and Miao autonomous county. [Photo by Xu Zhizhuan/news.cn]