PUTRAJAYA, Dec 24 — What started as a simple way to pass the time during the 2020 Movement Control Order (MCO) has blossomed into a thriving source of income and a symbol of togetherness at Apartment Presint 16, thanks to a growing community garden and stingless bee honey project.
Once a neglected area, the Apartment Presint 16 Neighbourhood Watch Area (KRT) community garden is now a lush space of vegetables and stingless bee hives, bringing fresh life to the area and its residents.
Speaking to Bernama recently, project manager Md Nasir Md Isa said the community garden idea emerged during the MCO, when residents needed a safe space to relax and socialise.
“At first, we just cleared the area to grow vegetables for ourselves and the community. Over time, we saw its potential, as it’s surrounded by flowering trees ideal for nectar,” he said.
He said this inspired the stingless bee honey project as an additional activity to generate income, beautify the area, and reduce problems with mosquitoes and wild animals.
The project received a RM46,500 grant from the Department of National Unity and Integration, funding bee hives, harvesting tools, and bottling and labelling equipment.
“We started with 10 hives as a pilot project. After three months, the results were promising, so we expanded. We now have around 60 hives across six stingless bee species,” he said, adding that the project yields 30 to 50kg of honey every six weeks, depending on the weather, generating high sales once bottled.
“If sold in 250ml bottles, one kilogramme of honey can fetch up to RM240, compared with RM120-RM140 in bulk. Project income has risen from around RM1,000 a month to about RM3,000,” he said.
Besides public sales, Presint 16 stingless bee honey is sought after as government souvenirs and sold at agency-organised events and carnivals.
“The biggest impact has been community participation. Men and women, the elderly, youths, children and even persons with disabilities are involved and able to access the area,” he said, noting that the garden has also become an informal learning site, with nearby kindergartens and schools bringing students to learn about urban farming and stingless beekeeping.
Looking ahead, Md Nasir said they plan to develop downstream stingless bee products such as propolis, soaps and health capsules, and turn the garden into a training hub for other communities.
“We want the project to endure across generations, which is why we are training youths now to take over. Our hope is that this model can be replicated elsewhere,” he said.
Behind each small bottle of stingless bee honey is a quiet story of unity, of early government support, shared effort and determination that turned a neglected space into a source of livelihood and collective pride. — Bernama
