The government of Bangladesh has hired about 300 apiary officers to educate farmers about the benefits bees provide to their crops. Most Bangladesh farmers are uneducated and have a poor understanding of the role bees play in pollination. Many subsistence farmers believe that bees, by taking pollen, harm crops and reduce the yield of crops such as mustard plant. There have been several cases of villagers forcing beekeepers to remove their hives due to their belief that bees are harming their crops. The role of the apiary inspectors is to educate farmers and to improve relations between farmers and beekeepers.
— Dr. Robert Owen
