The pandemic has catastrophically hit all the socioeconomic sectors of Peru and beekeeping has not been the exception. 2020 has put the capacities and resilience of beekeepers to the test. In the problem of beekeeping in Peru, technical and social aspects of the sector have an impact, which have delimited its development and which are detailed below.

According to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (Midagri), Peru produces 2.314 tons of honey per year, with an average yield of 10.8 kg per hive / year, and there are currently 300.000 hives.

These low production averages in comparison with other countries could have among their causes the lack of coordination between the forestry sector and beekeepers and the absence of public policies in this regard.

Another detrimental factor for beekeeping is the drastic reduction of the flora areas of beekeeping interest due to deforestation to build houses or produce charcoal, added to the indiscriminate destruction of forests and native flora in the jungle to gain new land for local agriculture. and for the "settlers" as migrants are known in the Amazon.

Likewise, the disorderly increase in the population of bees contributes to the spread of diseases and parasites such as Varroa destructor, now present throughout the territory, and which goes hand in hand with the advance of Africanization. But in the agricultural plans of the State there is no such thing as a Control Program for Varroasis and Africanization in Peru.

The increase in the bee population has been boosted by the enormous number of beekeeping intervention projects, undertaken by Municipalities, Regional Governments and NGOs, without considering either the overpopulation of hives in a certain area or the support of flora in these spaces.

Perhaps the biggest problem with these proposals is the high degree of corruption and mismanagement in the procurement system, particularly in the public sector, which leaves almost no room for responsible concern for the quality of live material that is acquired. This has led to the entry of new diseases and Africanization, to which is added the indebtedness of beekeepers, since some projects are considered as rural loans.

Pollination vs. beekeeping production
Peru is currently the second exporter of avocado in the world, with an estimated 33.000 cultivated hectares, and the first world exporter of blueberries, which has triggered the demand for bees for pollination.

Unlike other countries in the region such as Chile, in Peru the suppliers of hives for pollination do not tend to be fully owners of the hives offered, but rather function as a kind of "hookers" who sublet hives from small or medium-sized beekeepers who in most of them are not formalized under a legal figure. Thus, for example, faced with a demand for 5 hives for a farm, there are many beekeepers involved and there are more risks of not complying with the agreed quota or ensuring a homogeneous quality.

It is estimated that to meet the pollination requirements demanded by avocados and blueberries, between 457.890 and 460.734 hives would be needed, with payments ranging between US $ 38.99 and US $ 61.28 per hive. These prices warrant a more rigorous market study to measure the profitability of the service and that the boom in export profits reaches, in fairness, also the beekeeper, who in this chain is the weakest link.

For many beekeepers, directing their activity only to pollination services means reducing the production of honey, pollen and other products of the hive, which could be neglecting this market and opening the way to a lot of adulteration of bee products.

The various unions at the national level have not yet developed a clear strategy to address this problem, their process is still incipient to establish themselves as valid interlocutors between beekeepers, the market and the State and in some cases, they have lent themselves to the political use of the beekeeping sector and not necessarily to address its problems.

Knowledge as an impulse
In short, with few exceptions, the outlook is not very favorable for beekeeping. It is urgent to combine training in the field, technical assistance at various levels (beekeepers, entrepreneurs, union leaders, etc.), a review and update of the Beekeeping Law, a master plan for the implementation of good practices and traceability of beekeeping products.

Financial management strategies are also needed throughout the pollination service, to provide the sector with solid foundations that project it as a space for continuous improvement towards sustainable beekeeping and allied in the conservation of biodiversity, bee health and health. of the beekeeper.

There are initiatives that deserve to be highlighted. One of them is the implementation of proposals for genetic selection to obtain ecotypes of bees that respond to the reality of the varied Peruvian microclimates. Also noteworthy is the role of animators and participants in on-site training on issues of management, sanitation, good practices and traceability, to which is added the commitment of the academy to host applied research topics and stimulate the development of theses of students of related careers. All this is for the benefit of the human beings-bees-nature trilogy, understanding that Knowledge is the fundamental basis for making the qualitative leap in beekeeping.