Abstract:

This study was conducted to determine the current structure of beekeeping activity in Yozgat province. The research was conducted as a survey study, including questions about technical beekeeping by visiting 203 beekeepers in Yozgat in their accommodation. This study used a questionnaire consisting of multiple-choice and open-ended questions as a data collection tool. With the questions asked in this survey study, data were obtained on subjects such as the personal information of beekeepers, their educational status, the reasons for starting beekeeping, how many years they have been beekeeping, their recognition of bee diseases and pests, and the bee breeds cultivated. The questions used in the questionnaire were prepared to understand the structure of beekeeping in the province and determine the problems beekeepers faced. As a result of the evaluation of the data obtained from the study, it was determined that 96.05% of the beekeepers in the province were male, and the average age of the individuals engaged in beekeeping was 51.8 years. It was determined that 35% of the beekeepers had primary school education, an average of 14.07 years of beekeeping experience, and 52.63 colonies. As a result of the research, it was determined that beekeepers mainly use Caucasian bees, and they mostly use raw comb foundation and centrifugal extractor. It has been determined that beekeeping enterprises in Yozgat primarily use beekeeping as a source of side income. The experienced marketing problems negatively affect beekeeping as the primary source of income in the region. For this reason, to carry beekeeping to a higher level in Yozgat, it is necessary to use productive and locally compatible breeds to solve marketing problems and carry out more technical information studies for beekeepers.

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