Thanks to the efforts of Muhamad Fatihul Umam, dozens of families in the village of Kalipoh on the southern coast of Kebumen, Central Java, are able to enjoy the sweetness of Klanceng honey.
By
MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO
·5 minutes read
KOMPAS/MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO
Muhamad Fatihul Umam
After graduating from university, Umam, 29, chose to return to his hometown in Kalipoh village, Ayah district, which is in the hills of the southern Gombong karst. He saw that there was an income potential that could be explored in the region. Not only for him, but also for other villagers.
"I went home and was nervous. Are there no other potentials that can be developed in this village other than picking and processing coconut? The work is high risk, many people fall [from coconut trees], especially in the rainy season," Umam said in his village on Tuesday (26/11/2019).
The village is located in a teak forest area with a hilly coral terrain. The road is steep and winding because it is 202 meters above sea level. The village, which is 52 kilometers southwest of the Kebumen regency administration center, is inhabited by 3,515 people. About 70 percent of them earn money by taking liquid from coconut flower buds and processing it into palm sugar.
I went home and was nervous.
Umam saw the potential to develop dwarf honey bee (Apis florea) farming, locally known as Klanceng bees. Because of that, after graduating from the School of Teacher Training majoring in Economic Education Study Program, Sebelas Maret University, Surakarta, Central Java, in 2014, he began to study bee cultivation.
These bees elsewhere are called by different names. In Magelang they are called Lanceng, in West Java they called Teweul or Gala-gala and in Bali they are called Kela-kela.
Beginning in 2016, together with his friend, Dwi Pujianto, Umam began to cultivate this small, non-stinging bees. This business is supported by Rumah Zakat. Umam searched for honeycombs in the bamboos of the residents\' homes and in cattle pens. From there, he could collect around 50 bee colonies that were cultivated in his yard. In two months, the bees produced honey at an average of 1.5 liters.
KOMPAS/WILIBRORDUS MEGANDIKA WICAKSONO
Muhamad Fatihul Umam
The neighbors then became interested in participating in the bee cultivation. Uman welcomed them by creating the Klanceng Barokah Forest Farmer Group in September 2016 with initial members of 15 people. The group began to cultivate 300 bee colonies. From there, they were able produce 6-7 liters of Klanceng honey per month at a price of up to Rp 400,000 (US$28.63) per liter.
After being able to produce honey routinely, the group sold its product outside the village around Kebumen. Because the sales were quite good, other people became interested in joining. In 2018, the number of members increased to 80 residents. The total number of cultivated bee colonies reaches 12,000 with a production of at least 100 liters of honey per month. That much honey is worth up to Rp 40 million.
Masudi, 41, a resident of Kalipoh village who works as a fisherman, said that cultivating honey bees gave him extra income. With 200 Klanceng bee colonies, he gets about 8 liters of honey per three months, valued at around Rp 3 million. That much money is very meaningful at times when it is difficult to get fish.
Conservation
The market for Klanceng honey produced in Kalipoh village is now expanding to Semarang, Surakarta, Batam, Palembang, Denpasar and Banjarmasin. However, at a time when business opportunities are wide open, there are problems. Due to the long dry season of 2019, many of the bees have died. In addition, there are pests, such as ants, squirrels, ladybugs and swallows. Even active group members then decreased to 50 people. They cultivate around 4,000 bee colonies.
Umam was not discouraged by the ups and downs of the business of bee cultivation. He continued to advance and encourage residents to participate in this efforts. Moreover, the cultivation of wild bees does not only benefits them economically, but also supports environmental conservation.
"Bees need resin or gum as a defense in the hive to prevent incoming predators. Bees also need flower or pollen and nectar as food reserves. This is also the raw material for honey," said Umam, who is also the chairperson of the Sumber Rejeki Kalipoh village-owned enterprise.
I believe, if bees are still abundant in nature, it means the environment is still healthy.
Thus, in order to be able to cultivate the bees, the community must keep the environment green. Umam also raised awareness in the community to preserve the beauty of the environment by not cutting down trees carelessly.
The efforts to preserve the environment have been stipulated in Village Regulation No. 6/2017 concerning the environmental preservation of Kalipoh Village.
"If there are residents who cut down trees, they will first be reprimanded. Then, if repeated, they will be given a warning letter. Furthermore, they will be fined and told to plant several replacement trees," said Pamuji, secretary of Kalipoh village.
Bee farming that is associated with conservation is appreciated by a number of parties. In 2018, the Klanceng Barokah Farmers Group received an award as the winner of the provincial and national level in the Wana Lestari sustainable forest competition.
"I believe, if bees are still abundant in nature, it means the environment is still healthy," Umam said.
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