Examining Effective Factors on Honey Production Yield at Arasbaran Apiaries (Case Study: East Dizmar District)

BACKGROUND: Honey bees play a significant role in the balance of nature, especially through the pollination process. Pollination is important for the viability of many pastoral enterprises, market gardens and orchards. As at June 2010 the estimated value of pollination to Victorian agricultural and horticultural crops was estimated to exceed $400 million. Horticultural and seed industries are partially or completely dependent on effective pollination by honey bees.The bee keeping industry is one of the important sections of agriculture in Iran. It is a manufacturing activity that is possible throughout the year. Thousands of households are passing the life with this manner. OBJECTIVES: The main aim of the present study is an examination of effective factors on honey production yield at Arasbaran apiaries in the east Dizmar district of Khoda afarin County of the east Azerbaijan province. METHIDS: Type of research is descriptive - correlation and statistical population was all (643) the bee keepers in 4 villages of the east Dizmar district of Khoda afarin County. In order to examining the reliability of the questionnaire a pre - test was conducted. The value of Cronbach's alpha coefficient for different parts of the questionnaire was between 0/77 – 0/85. Sample size of the bee keepers was determined by random systematic method with Cochrane formula. Finally, 243 bee keepers was selected. The data was analyzed by using SPSS22 and LISREL8.72 soft wares. It is worth noting that yield of honey production is dependent variable and was calculated based on the amount and quantity of products (bee wax, honey and bee glue) which produced by Bee keepers from each hive in kilograms. RESULTS: According to research findings, bee keepers are in middle age range. This range of age can be considered positive point of the combination of young force and experience. The minimum education level of one third of bee keepers is bachelor. So, it is possible to perform literacy - based educations and, on the other hand, this capacity can be used to teach other bee keepers with low literacy. In terms of being bee keepers innovator, statistics show that they do not use the modified queen and rely on queen's natural duplicating method. It would be a reason to being intangible beekeepers need for training and feasibility to use the modified queen under consideration of governmental organisation and also, using the method of controlled process of the queen duplication. Improvement and modernization of hives is not favorable.This fact affects on the rate of each hive production and market qualification of honey products. There are positive and significant correlation in 5% level between dependent variable (honey products yield) and some factors such as; the individual, professional, psychological and technical characteristics. Based on the rate of factor loading, psychological factor (1.27) and variables such as: seeking out weather news, being helpful of extension and education classes, the interest to continue beekeeping job, social desirability of beekeeping and the distance of the apiaries had the most effect on variance changes of honey yield. CONCLUSIONS: Livelihoods of bee keepers was not evaluated appropriately, so in order to helping bee keepers to continue the production of honey, providing sustainable livelihoods, alternatives and supplements are suggested. The whole state of the colonies are not suitable. It is necessary to take place an urgent act by agricultural extension office of the east Azerbaijan province for promoting technologies consistent with regional conditions. Developing usage of the modified queen and the industrial method of duplicating queen feels strongly to be planned in the research district. Labor - save technologies be introduced for declining duration of referring bee keepers to hives. Variables such as desirability of social status of bee keeping and interest in continuing bee keeping job had significant affect on honey production so, the distinctive suggestion is that custodians of affairs do the necessary measures like promotion to introduce more bee keeping job to the community. It is important to predict creating required conditions to buy modern hives due to granting a subsidy facilities. By reducing the production cost of bee keepers ' performance rises, therefore the obvious suggestion in order to reduce costs is setting up bee keepers ' formations. One of the variables influencing honey yield is replacing of honeycombs. Specified suggestion for this case is predicting training headlines, applying appropriate supervision and implementing of extensional programs. Also, Generalizing and expanding education with the aim of transferring elderly and highly qualified person's experiences to young people, on the one hand, and increasing the possibility of applying new technologies, on the other hand, will have a double effect on bee keepers honey yield. The effect of following the meteorology news on the honey yield is above. This fact illustrates the role of proper knowledge of bee keepers of meteorological variables on honey production. So, it is important that east Azerbaijan agriculture jihad organization preparing daily messages for bee keepers in the form of SMS or by mass media. Preparing reports about prediction of meteorological status in the form of weekly, monthly, seasonal and six mouths is emphasized.