Beekeeping as a business

Beekeeping is one of the types of business that often grows out of a hobby. A small apiary, equipped in a country house or in a private courtyard, allows you to try your hand, gain personal experience and evaluate the prospects for earning.

According to experts of the National Union of Beekeepers, the capacity of the honey market in Russia is up to 1 million tons per year. And this is without taking into account additional bee products and the ability to export products. Produced in 2013 134 thousand tons clearly show that the niche of honey production is not filled and there is an opportunity to organize a profitable business on bees.

How to start beekeeping as a business?

Before you start a business, you should collect all the information about beekeeping in the region. A lot of useful information will be provided by local unions of beekeepers. Where to buy equipment and hives, where and at what price the best bee colonies are sold, what is the price of honey and bee products. This will help calculate the approximate amount of the initial investment.

Finding a place for an apiary

Geographically, the most suitable regions are the Republic of Bashkortostan, Kaluga, Orenburg regions and Altai Territory. The largest number of beekeeping farms is concentrated here. However, it is possible to organize a small bee business in almost any region of Russia, except for the Far North.

The size of the plot is chosen based on the calculation 32–40 sq. m per hive so that the length of the working route of the bee to the place of honey collection does not exceed 2 km. It is better to place the apiary in relief in a lowland, so that the insects returning from the honey collection would fly “downhill”. A stationary farm is surrounded by a solid fence at least 2 m high so that the bees from other apiaries do not overlap the years.

In the south of Russia, hives are placed in shady places, with entrances to the east, and in the northern latitudes - in the sun so that families do not freeze at night. Should not be placed near water bodies, coniferous forests, livestock farms and cereal crops. An excellent neighborhood is an apiary near crops of buckwheat, sunflower, clover, linden and acacia plantations.

Up to 50% greater efficiency is shown by apiaries, which change places of honey collection several times a season.

The beekeeper is obliged to coordinate with the forestry, local agricultural or farming a seasonal parking lot for the apiary. As a rule, registration of lease agreements is not required.

Business registration

For registration of individual entrepreneurship, it is required to submit to the local Council:

application form P21001,
an application for the application of a simplified taxation system in the form F26.2-1,
receipt of payment of state duty in the amount of 800 rubles,
a copy of the passport.

Monthly fixed payments will be RUB 1444.04 to the pension fund and RUB 1727.30- insurance fee.

Registration of an apiary

Separate registration is required for an already created apiary. Upon request, the State Veterinary Service conducts an inspection, compares the veterinary certificates of bees and makes an analysis for the absence of nematosis.

According to the results of the commission, an apiary passport is issued, which is necessary when selling honey and beehives.

Purchase of bees and equipment

When planning the purchase of bees, it should be taken into account that breeds that are natural for this region, that is, bred from families that have long lived in this climatic zone, give the best results. It is better to purchase equipment through a local beekeeping organization or at specialized exhibitions.

Selection of bees for breeding

The most important quality traits are: egg-laying of the uterus, the number of worker bees in the family, winter hardiness, disease resistance, enterprise in finding honey collections, and working capacity.

Complete bee families are purchased from the end of April to the end of May.

The best for breeding in Russia are recognized:

Central European forest dark breed,
gray caucasian.

These breeds withstand severe wintering and long (up to six months) flightless periods, and are resistant to diseases.

The Italian yellow breed is gaining more and more popularity. It is characterized by the highest enterprise in the search for honey collections and disease resistance. Carpathian, steppe Ukrainian and yellow Caucasian breeds are also widespread.

A small economic effect can be expected from an apiary of 40-50 families. But at least 150 families will bring tangible profits.

Acquisition of hives and auxiliary materials

By design, the hive is divided into vertical and horizontal - according to the method of increasing their working volume.

The best option is vertical multi-body models with 435x300 mm frames. Here, the sizes vary according to the size of the swarm and the bees in them endure the winter better. Made from quality wood, these hives last for over 40 years.

Also, the apiary must be equipped with:

a smoker to pacify bees;
protective clothing and face mesh;
portable box for frames, honeycombs and broods;
cells for the maintenance of mature queen cells;
feeders for top dressing in spring and autumn;
honey extractor;
a table for printing honeycombs;
wax refinery;
a special sieve for filtering honey.

Photo: Protective equipment for the beekeeper

Beekeeping business plan

As a business idea, beekeeping has many attractive points. At the start, huge financial investments, the purchase of sophisticated equipment and the ownership of large land plots are not required. More important is that a novice entrepreneur has the necessary knowledge and skills. Therefore, it often becomes a family business.

The initial cost of the apiary

The cost of maintaining a beekeeping farm

The running costs are not large compared to the starting ones. 50 hives can be serviced by 1 person, if he is hired - the payment for work will not exceed 3000.00 rubles. per month

The season of intensive loading lasts from May to August, then periodic inspection of the beekeeping, top dressing, shelter for the winter is required.

Approximate costs for the maintenance of the apiary will be:

Labor costs are minimal. Expenses per year - RUB 36000.00.
Veterinary Medicines and Services – RUB 7000.00
For a nomadic apiary, transport or its rental will be required. The cost of 4–5 moves per season and transportation to the winter quarters will be approximately RUB 30,000.00–35,000.00
Amount of taxes per year RUB 38050.00.

The expansion of the apiary is possible without the purchase of new bee colonies, in a year their number will double due to swarming. Expenses will be only for the purchase of hives - 150,000.00 rubles.

A bee colony lives on average 7-9 years.

Benefit calculation

In the first year, with proper care, you can expect up to 30 kg of honey per bee colony. In the future, this figure can be increased up to 50 kg. Since honey is a long-term storage product, the entire stock can be sold at a retail price - RUB 250.00. per kg. For the first year of admission there will be $375,000.00 only from the sale of honey.

One new swarm will be added in each hive. By autumn, the price of such a family will be 4000 rub., but it’s not worth selling them, it’s more rational to buy beehives and expand the apiary. In the future, the sale of bee colonies in spring or autumn will bring from 20,000.00 to 60,000.00 rubles annually.

Additional bee products - bee pollen, wax, propolis, pollen - traditionally bring up to 30% of the cost honey - approx. 100,000–125,000 rubles.

Therefore, already in the first year, in the most favorable scenario, incomes will be able to practically cover the costs, and from the second year of operation, the beekeeping business will bring tangible profits.

From an apiary for 100 hives in the second year, it is realistic to get 750,000.00 rubles only from the sale of honey. The most profitable in terms of the ratio of income and costs, as already mentioned, is considered to be a beekeeping for 150 families.

Where to get money to start?

The problem of how to succeed in the beekeeping business without having the start-up capital to organize a large farm can be solved in several ways:

Start a business on a smaller scale, relying only on available funds. The return on investment will not come immediately, so it is necessary to lay down some kind of “stabilization” fund for unforeseen expenses and current expenses.
Invite a partner to finance. In this type of cooperation, it is important to provide and write down all the nuances in the contract, including the conditions for dividing the business or leaving one of the co-founders. Even with best friends, it is necessary to decide and document all working moments.
Lending. On your own or with the help of a qualified specialist, draw up a business plan and take a loan from a bank for the entire amount or the missing part of it. This may require collateral and documented expenses for starting a business - sales receipts and contracts.

Products for sale (+prices)

Traditionally, the highest prices for honey and bee products are in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The spread of prices in other regions is no more than 30%

Honey

The cost of honey directly depends on the variety and solvency of the clientele. The highest price can be taken from direct sales, for example, in sanatoriums. With wholesale delivery, half, or even most of the income is lost.

The following are considered expensive high-quality varieties:

acacia (especially mountain),
buckwheat,
hyssop,
sweet clover,
mustard,
lime,
clover.

The value depends not only on taste, but to a greater extent on medicinal properties. For example, linden has strong antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, prices range from 120 r. per kg of flower honey up to 400 r. per kg lime.

In general, prices for the main regions of Russia were set as follows:

By-products and services (soaps, cosmetics, rental of bees for pollination)

In addition to the sale of bee products, a bee business can generate income from such side services as placing hives in greenhouses for pollination of plants, selection and sale of young bee colonies.

You can offer your products to cosmetics manufacturers. If you conclude a cooperation agreement with a cosmetic company, a private soap workshop or a confectionery shop, then part of their products can be sold to your customers. Soaps, cosmetics or sweets that use honey extracted from your apiary will be welcomed by customers.

High-quality cosmetics are the key to the success of even a small hairdresser. Find out,

Do you know what it takes to open a children's development center? Look in this

When applying for a job, testing is increasingly used. How to conduct it correctly? Read

Search for distribution channels

Direct sales will bring the greatest profit - the organization of a stationary or mobile outlet in the market. A branded kiosk with information about the apiary and a full range of honey of various varieties, a variety of bee products and by-products will attract buyers from the sleeping areas of cities, vacationers and tourists in resort areas.

The easiest and most unprofitable way is to sell honey in bulk to intermediaries.

The conclusion of a cooperation agreement with a confectionery shop or a cosmetic company can solve the problem of the entire annual batch of products. And the development of our own packaging and labels will serve as the best advertisement and will provide an opportunity to cooperate with retail chains in the region.

Unpretentious to the conditions of transportation and storage, honey is an ideal product for sale through online stores. It is this method, with the right approach, that will be the most profitable and does not require additional serious investments.

Breeding bees as a business is undoubtedly a profitable business, if it is done competently and with high dedication for at least three to four years.