Iran honey production up 10%
By Sadeq Dehqan & Farzam Vanaki
Iran’s honey production has witnessed a 10-percent growth weight-wise since March 21 compared to the figure for the same period last year, said the head of the Board of Directors of Beekeepers and Honey Producers Association of Iran (Iranhoney).
He cited the increase in precipitation in the country’s northern, western and central areas during the spring as the reason for the growth in production, Abdolreza Bigonah told Iran Daily.
He said that Iran produced more than 77,000 tons of honey in the year to March 2018.
Bigonah added this comes as the thickening haze and the rise in dust particles in south and southwest Iran have negatively impacted honey production in these regions thus decreasing output. He put Iran’s honey production in the years to March 2017 and March 2018 at 70,000 tons and 77.393 tons respectively.
Bigonah said that the Iranian provinces of East Azarbijan (northwestern Iran) Mazandaran (northern Iran) and Ardabil (northwestern Iran) rank first to third, respectively, in the production of honey.
Describing Ardabil Province as the center of Iran’s honey production, he noted that the honey produced in Sabalan mountain in Ardabil enjoys global reputation.
“Nevertheless, since a few years ago, the province no longer holds its erstwhile position in honey production and currently stands third among the country’s honey producers.”
He put Iran’s honey exports in the year to March 2018 at 700 tons, regretting that due to the wars, conflicts and crises in the region, the overseas sales of the product to states such as Syria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen decreased in the same 12-month period.
Bigonah listed the customers of Iran’s honey as the Persian Gulf littoral states as well as a number of Southeastern Asian countries such as Malaysia and Brunei.
He put the number of beehives across Iran at 6.69 million, adding that on average, each produces 11 kilograms of honey. Bigonah said in certain points of the country, each beehive produces between 20 kilograms and 40 kilograms of honey.
“Usually, in regions where bees feed on sugar, honey production increases three times of the output they yield under natural and normal circumstances. When beehives feed on pollen, each beehive yields 11 kilograms of honey.”
He said that given the similarity of the reactions in bees’ digestive system and the secretion of the same enzymes when they feed on pollen and sugar, the honey they make in both cases possesses the same properties.
Bigonah added nevertheless, the honey produced by bees that feed on pollen definitely has more properties.
On uncertainties regarding the sale of adulterated honey in Iranian market, he said since the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran as well as the country’s food quality control laboratories supervise and monitor honey production by Iranian factories, these production units refrain from distributing such products in the market.
“However, the honey sold by hawkers in unbranded dishes and containers is possible to be imitations.”
He listed other products by bees as royal jelly, pollen, wax and venom.
“Bee venom is used in treating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.”
Since in the past, the entry of imitation and nonstandard honey into the distribution network posed threats to the domestic honey market, at present, Iran does not import honey.