Development of Bee Breeding in the Area of the Bieszczadzki National Park
No. 27-0641-01

The farmers, participating in this project come from three communities situated in the southeastern part of Poland, near the Bieszczadzki National Park. The nature of this region is recognized as heritage of civilization and protected as unique by laws in Europe. Strict regulations are significantly limiting development of agricultural and industrial activities there. As a result, this region is said to be the cleanest one in Poland and was officially included into "Eastern Carpathians International Biosphere Reserve". Unfortunately, environment protection has also negative consequences for the inhabitants of the region. The first is a high structural unemployment rate that reaches 30%. The second is the low profitability of the farms (lower than social minimum), caused by extensive methods of farming and difficult mountain conditions. The above factors affect the whole population of this region, because as much as 60% of it is involved in agriculture.

Small-scale farmers in the Bukowsko, Zagórz and Sanok communities can't make sufficient income neither from farming nor from additional employment. Development of bee breeding, therefore, is a perfect way for them to improve their economic situation. Clean surrounding and many flourishing plants in the environment create very good conditions for this type of agricultural production, which has been always exercised there. This is why local farmers know how to take care of the apiaries and how to build beehaves themselves. They lack funds for investments, however, so HPI will assist 10 of them through purchasing 10 bee families for each of them and some laboratory equipment for the group to control the quality of honey. The number of households participating in the project will multiply each year due to passing on the gift fulfillment.

Prices for quality honey and other bee products are high, so beekeeping development is likely to help the poorest families to increase their income. Moreover, taking into account the significance of bees for ecosystems we can be absolutely sure that this activity will contribute significantly to the protection of the nature.

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