On May 17, 2021, in the Nukus district of Karakalpakstan UNDP handed over the equipment for the development of beekeeping. The initiative received support from the UNDP and UNFPA Joint Programme “Building the resilience of local communities against health, environmental and economic insecurities caused by environmental destruction in the Aral Sea region”, funded by the Government of Japan.

In February, within the framework of the Joint Programme, a Call for proposals was announced to support innovative business projects. The selection committee approved 27 projects for co-financing, 8 of which were aimed at the development of beekeeping in the Bozatau, Karauzyak and Chimbay districts of Karakalpakstan.

For a region with a difficult ecological and economic environment, beekeeping has a particular importance. This is not just a business with a stable income generation opportunity, but also a contribution to improving the environment, access to environmentally friendly and healthy products, and the opportunity to diversify the activities of entrepreneurs in the future. As in addition to honey, the beekeeper receives wax, propolis, and if lucky enough, there is an opportunity to arrange sales of bee venom, which can be essential for pharmaceutical companies.

The ceremony in the Nukus district was attended by the eight beekeeping farmers, three of which are women, arrived to receive the equipment. On the same day, they took part in a master class training that had been provided by seasoned bee farmer Mr. Bakhtiyar Jubaev, who shared his knowledge, explained the ways to ensure business growth, as well as essentials in building contact with customers and the features of hive care. 

The Joint Programme continues to support local entrepreneurial initiatives in pilot districts. The focus is on building the capacity of young farmers and entrepreneurs to develop agriculture, manufacturing and service delivery, which is expected to improve the economic well-being of vulnerable communities.