Alan Teh Leam Seng finds out more about the amazing stingless bees up in Kedah and how their quality honey is sweet success to a family-run business
“YOU are taking the wrong turn! The farm is further up,” my friend Rossman Ithnain points out as soon as he notices the car veering into a side road. Moments later, he calms down after noticing that I had intentionally side-tracked to visit the Damai Park Resort.
Five minutes later, our vehicle grinds to a halt at a concrete bridge leading to the resort, the only one of its kind on the southern approach to the foothills of Gunung Jerai.
Popular among holiday-goers who are keen on experiencing the wonders of quaint rural Kedah, this place offers simple yet clean accommodation as well as a variety of interesting nature-based activities.
With no intention of staying, we take a quick look and then proceed to the gurgling brook running parallel to the entrance.
We succumb to temptation and find ourselves wading barefoot in the crystal-clear water, occasionally stopping to look at the colourful fish darting about and to study the odd-shaped stones.
Rossman interestingly refers the weather-beaten rocks, some of which bear uncanny resemblance to a variety of animal shapes, as Mother Nature’s masterpieces.
Before leaving, he manages to surprise me with one shaped like an owl in a perching stance!
BACK ON TRACK
We retrace our route and resume the uphill drive towards our initial destination. It soon becomes evident that this area is isolated, almost devoid of human habitation. Both sides of the road are primarily flanked with fruit orchards.
At a glance, there are mangosteen, jackfruit, dokong and, of course, the ubiquitous durian trees.
We have no trouble finding Ladang Ternakan Kelulut, with its bright yellow signboard practically planted at the road kerb. True to its name, a haze of tiny insects swarm around us as soon as we step foot inside. Rossman and I try to sidestep the dark buzzing mass but our manoeuvres are outmatched by the insects’ sheer mass and lightning speed.
“Do not be afraid! These are stingless bees. They will not cause you any harm!” a voice calls out from a nearby shed.
Relieved, Rossman and I walk up to the person and introduce ourselves.
Mohd Syafiq Syazwan Jafri offers to take us on a tour of his farm, which basically consists of neat rows of sawn-off tree trunks and wooden boxes.
At a glance, I count more than 100 hives. Quite an impressive number.
Along the way, Mohd Syafiq starts explaining the biology of the bees. “These insects prefer cool temperatures. Their mortality rate increases drastically the moment the mercury rises. This is why my father and I chose the cool hill slopes of Gunung Jerai to set up the farm,” he explains, gesturing towards the dense forest canopy looming high above our heads.
Each hive is also covered with a protective plastic roof to both reduce the heat and also prevent rainwater from inundating the nest.
The 21-year-old who hails from Sungei Petani reveals that his initial group of bees was obtained from the wild.
“Acting on a tip, my friends and I headed to a forested area near Yan on the other side of Gunung Jerai. We scoured the area and eventually located two trees with mature hives lodged deep in their trunks,” Mohd Syafiq recalls.
“We marked the trees and returned after nightfall. Bees always return to the safety of their hives at night. Harvesting the hives after dark ensure that we secure the entire colony before transporting them back to the farm here in Merbok.”
Noticing our concern regarding the destruction of forest trees in order to collect the wild stingless bees, Mohd Syafid explains that his farm has started adopting sustainable rearing techniques.
On this, he says: “We are now capitalising on our sizeable bee population and have embarked on a project to multiply new colonies using wooden boxes. So far, the results are very encouraging.”
STINGLESS BEES
The stingless bees, or Lebah Kelulut in Malay, are reputed to produce more honey than their foreign cousins in renowned bee-producing countries like New Zealand and Australia.
This is good news for Malaysians as the Kelulut honey is not only cheaper but, according to Mohd Syafiq, is also far superior in nutrient content.
The bees are most productive during the fruiting season, which is from March to September annually.
Mohd Syafiq is kept busy then, harvesting honey from about 15 hives daily.
Depending on the species, each hive can yield between one and two kilogrammes of honey every fortnight.
There are about 500 species of stingless bees in the world. These winged insects thrive best in tropical and sub-tropical countries and about 40 species are known to be endemic to Malaysia.
Mohd Syafiq’s farm is home to 18 of these species. Apart from the wild, he also acquires new bee species by swapping with fellow beekeepers and also buying from collectors.
On the probability of losing his bees should they follow other bees home, Mohd Syafiq says that the chances are highly unlikely.
Unlike ordinary bees, the stingless bees have a very short flight range of just under 500m.
“Normal bees can fly four times that distance and have a higher chance of straying,” he explains.
Mohd Syafiq also invites us into the display area to sample some Kelulut honey.
Carefully packed into bottles under hygienic conditions, this potential superfood of the future is sold under the label Madu Kelulut Merbok SAF with the initials standing for Soleha Advanced Farming.
Mohd Syafiq reveals that Soleha is his mother’s name, Soleha Harun.
Throughout the tour, it is evident that Mohd Syafiq cares a lot about his bees. They are not only a means of earning a living but also a way to give back to society. The stingless bees are the farmers’ best friends as they are prolific pollinators.
Mohd Syafiq claims that the surrounding orchard owners have reported marked increases in their crop yield ever since Ladang Ternakan Kelulut opened in 2011.
While visiting the flowers, the bees will help themselves to the nectar, converting the sweet liquid into honey once back at their hives.
“The nectar from each plant species is unique and this is reflected in the Kelulut honey. Through experience, I can identify the type of trees from where the nectar is collected by merely tasting the honey in the hives,” he says, while asking me to sample a spoonful of honey, which surprisingly possesses a subtle hint of durian flavour!
SOURISH HONEY
Apart from fruity bouquet, honey from the stingless bees is slightly sour due to a longer fermentation period which fortifies the honey with antioxidants.
Realising that some people may not be accustomed to this acidic attribute, Mohd Syafiq resorts to mixing the honey collected by the different bee species in his farm into a more palatable concoction.
“I have to come up with a winning formula. It is challenging as I have to assume the combined roles of official taster, mixer and quality controller!” he says proudly.
Depending heavily on his tastebuds, Mohd Syafiq has so far managed to produce honey that is so unique in both taste and texture that people from as far away as Johor and Terengganu regularly make a beeline for his farm. “I also get foreign tourists occasionally.
So far, Canadians and Japanese are the greatest fans of Kelulut honey.
“They tell me that what we have here in Merbok are far more superior than that of other Asean countries,” says Mohd Syafiq, who owes his success to his father Jaffri Safar,
who is also the company founder.
Apart from getting products fresh off the shelves, buying directly from the farm in Merbok here ensures customers that they are getting the real deal.
Due to its popularity, Mohd Syafiq claims that there have been many cases where people have been duped into buying fake Madu Kelulut Merbok SAF.
Undeterred, Mohd Syafiq remains steadfast in his dream to one day market his products all over the world.
Apart from harvesting honey, Mohd Syafiq also collects propolis from the hive walls. Unlike ordinary bees which produce wax to build their homes, stingless bees produce propolis.
In Merbok, these insects visit latex producing fruit trees like cempedak and jackfruit to harvest their sap and produce this resinous mixture, which is also known as bee glue.
Open daily from 10am to 6pm except for Fridays, Soleha Advanced Farming sells the medically beneficial propolis in the form of facial and skincare soaps.
Looking at the label, it seems that this product is recommended for those suffering from sinus, pimples or even excessively oily skin.
Impressed, both Rossman and I happily purchase several bottles of honey and a cake of soap each. Our trip up to the farm has been both enlightening as well as educational.
Pictures by Alan Teh Leam Seng
TRAVEL FILE
Madu Kelulut Merbok SAF
No. 24, Jalan Bukit Batu Pahat
Merbok
Kedah
Tel: 019- 525 3458 (Mohd Syafiq Syazwan Jafri)