General structure of elaziğ beekeeping and beekeeping activities

This study was conducted to determine the socio-economic structure of the beekeeping, administrations in colony management, procedures of struggling with diseases and insects, loss of colonies and problems in beekeeping in Elazığ. Study population was represented by 81 beekeeping businesses selected by random stratification from a total of 504 beekeeping corporations located in the centre and eight districts of Elazığ province. The sample size was calculated by taking proportional sampling method with 95% confidence level and population confidence interval of 10% into consideration. A question naire was applied to the participants in order to collected data about beekeeping. It was determined that 34.5% of the participating beekeepers were between the ages of 46-55 and 93.3% of this age group received honey between 10-15 kg per hive. 33,5% of them were college / faculty graduates, and these producers received 10-15 kg honey per hive. It has been determined that 49.4% of beekeepers have been beekeeping for less than 10 years and have received honey less than 10 kg per hive. It was determined that 35,6% of them made beekeeping as a second occupation and received less than 10 kg of honey per hive. It has been determined that 72.4% of those who are engaged in beekeeping have less than 10 kg honey per 60% of the hives of this group, which started beekeeping with 1-10 hives. It is saw that when the age, education, experience, the number of people working in the business, the number of hives at the beginning, and the number of hives present increases, producition of honey is increased. As a result, it was determined that as the education level of the beekeepers increased, the production amount increased, the hive productivity decreased, the beekeeping was made as a second job, and there were problems in marketing. Support for beekeeping should be increased and problems experienced in marketing should be removed.