Iran Produced 378 Tons of Honey in Qom Province During Last Year

(MENAFN) According to Babak Rahbarnia, the director of poultry and bee affairs of Qom province's Agriculture Department, the province produced 378 tons of honey in the past Iranian calendar year 1401, which ended on March 20. This amount of honey was produced from 39,534 bee colonies in the province. Last year, beekeepers in Qom also produced 10,415 kg of wax, 420 kg of propolis, 482 kg of royal jelly, more than three tons of pollen, and 25 grams of bee venom.

Rahbarnia stated that the beekeeping industry in Qom employs around 640 people directly. The province's agricultural authorities are committed to creating more value and increasing the income of beekeepers by focusing on producing more side products.

Iran's honey production is estimated to be around 136,000 tons, according to a board member of the Iran Beekeepers Association, Mohammad Fekri. West Azerbaijan Province is the largest honey producer in the country, accounting for more than 22% of the annual honey production. East Azerbaijan, Fars, Ardebil, and Kermanshah provinces are also significant honey producers, while other provinces contribute to the remaining 43% of the honey production.

Mokhtar Mohajer, the chairman of the Animal Science Research Institute of Iran (ASRI), has stated that Iran ranks third in the world in the number of apiaries. The country is also a significant producer of honey with an annual production of 136,000 tons, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Mohajer added that Iran's rank in honey production is changing between fourth and sixth place in the world.

Mohajer believes that the honey production in the country should be increased by three to four kilograms per colony, according to the Seventh National Development Plan (2022-2026). He said that the country has diverse plant species and vast pastures to support increased honey production. Currently, the country produces 8,300 kilograms of royal jelly, 406 tons of pollen, 2,536 tons of beeswax, 247 tons of propolis, and 3,917 grams of bee venom annually. There are approximately 11.8 million bee colonies in 109,759 apiaries in the country.

Although Iran ranks third in the world in the number of apiaries, the average production of honey in the country is lower than the standard. In traditional colonies, beekeepers produce an average of four kilograms of honey, while modern colonies produce an average of 9.6 kilograms of honey. Low literacy among beekeepers is one of the reasons for low honey production in the country. According to Mohajer, each bee colony in the country has the potential to produce more than 25 kilograms of honey.

Mohajer also mentioned that only 10% of honey and its by-products are exported to countries such as Turkey and Arab countries. He called for more investment in the honey industry to improve production and create more value. The country's apiaries have the potential to produce more honey and by-products, which can create more job opportunities and increase the income of beekeepers.

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