Beekeeping, a traditional subsistence industry, integrates
well in the culture of the rural folk in Malaysia. This is seen by the
use of honey in traditional medicines, their folklore on bees (e.g. "The
Tiger and the Gong of Prophet Solomon"}, the incantations relating to
the harvesting of honey from wild bees, the diverse methods employed
in the honey-hunting of the Giant Honey bee (A. dorsata) and the
regious belief in the virtues of honey.
Malaysia imports most of its honey from Australia, China
and U.S.A. Local honey supply from honey-hunting does not meet
local demand and fetches premium prices at the market as compared
to imported treated pure foreign honey. Local honey is preferred to
foreign honey because of the local taste preference. Therefore, there
is a tremendous market tor local honey production in Malaysia.
Despite the availability of abundant species of nectar and
pollen floral sources, the full potential of modern beekeeping has yet
to be realised. Beekeeping, if promoted, would enable the rural poors
to participate and supplement their income because it requires small
investment of time and money, the operation and labour scale is
flexible, and even the landless can raise bees. Honeybees are
considered the most accessible microlivestock in coconut
small-holdings. Feral colonies of A. cerana are easily found in
coconut tree trunks, outhouses, coconut kilns and dwellings in these
areas. They are there readily to be hived into boxes for rearing
which otherwise are left unattended. The fact that there are several
indigenous species of honeybees (A. cerana, A. dorsata and A. florea)
in Malaysia, augers well for the beekeeping industry to flourish in Malaysia