Traditional Bee Honey Harvesting in West Timor, Indonesia

Media Vol. No. 1, :

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TRADITIONAL BEE HONEY HARVESTING IN WEST

INDONESIA

(Pemanenan Madu Secara

di Timor

Indonesia)

Department of Soil Sciences, of Agriculture

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ZPB Pajajaran

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(0251) 312 642 e-mail: soilipb@indo.net. id

Studi pemanenan madu tradisional dalam hal kondisi sosial

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telah dilakukan di madu di Amfoang Selatan, Kabupaten Kupang dan Mollo Selatan dan Kabupaten Timor Tengah yang dalam

adalah kombinasi dan interview ini, penghasil madu umumnya

daerah dan pohon madu pohon madu antara dan

daerah Pohon madu yang ditemui antara lain (Acacia

malabarica), (Sterculia (Ficus

pentandra). Musim madu ada dua Juni Juli September dan umumnya

(Eucalyptus urophylla) dan hue (Eucalyptus jambu air (Eugenia spp) oleosa). Pemilik pohon madu _ini

tradisional dalam Pemanenan, dan pohon madu dilakukan

madu mempunyai kontribusi yang penduduk untuk kebutuhan hidupnya

kunci : _{tradisional, pemanenan, madu, fanik.}

INTRODUCTION

Traditional bee honey harvesting in West Timor as source of honey and beeswax has been giving important meaning to the local people who get involved to the activity for supporting a part of their necessity. Wax, together with sandalwood and had been one of export products for centuries. Moreover, in the former days the region's borders frequently moved with place where the bees made hives 1956). Though the product of beeswax is sharply decreased and being used

forest plots where bees made hives. They

can

be hoped to

conserve the environment surrounding the forest

as

well, especially vegetation that have function

as

_food

source for bee honey either nectar or pollen. This study

aims to know the present socio-environmental condition

of

traditional bee honey harvesting as one of the non-timber forest products in Kupang and South Central Timor regencies, West of

METHODS

locally for lighting in hut of honey as main _{The study area was comprised of the villages} I product of bee honey harvesting still economically gives

significant contribution to the local people -in addition to

their main income from and garden cultivation for and South Mollo district of South Central regency fulfilling their necessity. and the forest the villages. Administratively, To date some of the remaining places of former day the study area is located in the Kupang and South Central

bee honey regencies? Nusa Rovince,

Bonmuti, Binafun and Bitobe villages of South Amfoang The socio-environmental condition informa-tion

obtained field survey The

Nunbena and villages of

and Loli village of South Mollo obtained by structured interview through interviewing Timor regency are still well known as of and primary informants who are the villager, in

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honey. Bee honey is a valuable non-timber 1992

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1994, and 1999 in villages of

in the villages mention above. South Amfoang district of Kupang regency; and