Abstract
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND PEASANT ADAPTATION TO BEEKEEPING IN THE CHIEFDOM OF PANDURU IN THE PROVINCE OF ITURI, DRC
Rwothng'A K. and Lokinda Litalema Faustin*
ABSTRACT
Beekeeping is a science that allows humans to breed bees. This practice has existed since prehistoric times, and today it is practicing all over the world. This activity offers a good way to generate additional income for households from natural resources without damaging them. Man does not only derive honey, but also and above all much more from other products namely: wax, pollen, propolis (the vegetable resin that bees use as a mortar), royal jelly (the secretion that the larvae and the queen of the colony are fed) and venom are all examples of products that humans derive from the bee. The evaluation by the population survey of the Chiefdom of PANDURU illustrates that this population has local knowledge and adapts to beekeeping activity from local materials or 67.30%. While 46.16% remain in the traditional exploitation with rudimentary local materials against 19.23% who migrate to the modernization of beekeeping. However, it should be noted that most of the beekeepers of PANDURU or 85.71% of the respondents have serious difficulties in the modern operation of beekeeping. These results reflect the low level of adaptation of the population to modern technology of bee exploitation in beekeeping in the PANDURU Chiefdom in Mahagi Territory, Democratic Republic of Congo.
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