Honey contains all kinds of nutrition, and it is used to maintain health and treat illnesses. It is also taken as a supplement by people in society who are particular about their wellbeing.

Stingless bee expert at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Prof. Dr. Shamsul Bahri Abd Razak said stingless bee honey has higher nutrition that regular honey. It has antioxidants that can prevent radical activities that lead to inflammation and low glycemic index (GI) as well as high trehalose that is beneficial to human health.

Stingless bee honey can also be used as basic ingredient when creating other products, such as soap, balm gel, cosmetics, energy bar, stingless bee coffee, sweets, and chocolate.

Stingless bee honey entrepreneur Noraini Othman, 53, considers stingless bee colony block gifted by his eldest son as the impetus of change in her family.

“I was interested in stingless bee honey sold by a seller several years ago. After that, it crossed my mind that I should inquire more about stingless bee honey and stingless bee farming.

“Then my eldest son presented me with stingless bee colony block for me to try my hands at stingless bee farming.

She said UMT’s knowledge transfer programme on stingless bee farming has helped people like her.

“At first there were only a few hives, but now there is a community at Kg. Sedili Kota Tinggi involved in stingless bee farming.

“Although we are only village people, the knowledge transferred to us by UMT researchers has allowed us to become successful stingless bee honey manufacturers.

She said the sale of stingless bee honey hits RM1,5000 per month, and the farming of stingless bee has changed the economic standards of the nearby residents.

Noraini said stingless bee farming is easy.

“They do not need to be fed. Only ensure the cleanliness of the surrounding area is maintained. It does not require big capital, and this is what has made me more motivated to add more stingless bee colony blocks.

She added such knowledge transfer programme is useful for people like her and it needs to reach a wider audience to benefit more people in society.

“I commend UMT for the approach it has taken to help people like me. The courses given were easy to follow and translated directly through provided blocks. It was very helpful.

“We live far from big towns, and our main source of income is through small businesses. I am confident this type of programme needs to be expanded to benefit society especially people like me,” she said.

Prepared by:

Corporate Communications Office

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu