New cluster plans to export 20 tons of bee products annually
A honey export cluster has been developed in Mongolia. During the opening ceremony of the new cluster, a discussion was held among stakeholders to determine how ready they were to export honey and other bee products.
The Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry is cooperating with the MONMAP project team, which is developing a master plan to establish a honey cluster and implement a project to support local agricultural products.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Honey Cluster NGO M.Narantuya said, “A honey cluster will focus on activities such as helping its members to enter and export the international market with new equipment and methods, organizing training and exhibitions and implementing projects to receive financial and non-financial support from international and other sources. To increase the value of Mongolia’s bee products and the amount of exports, we aim to export 20 tons of bee products per year by 2025.”
Akio Nishiami, an expert on the MONMAP project, gave information about the work they are doing related as part of the project and said that they would support local beekeepers and producers in overcoming the challenges they face through the honey cluster.
Executive Director of Honey Cluster NGO Ibukuro Tomoko said, “Although Mongolia’s exported amount of honey is small, the amount of imported honey is large. The reasons behind it are the complicated system and the lack of sales capabilities of domestic manufacturers. We are hoping to advance this situation by creating a supply chain to meet the export demand. For this, the participation of relevant government organizations and stakeholders are important.”
Expert Carl Krug introduced the Mongolian export cluster network established within the European Union’s TRAM project aimed to support Mongolian trade and the export of Seabuckthorn products to European Union countries. He said that it is possible for Mongolian producers to get a 70 percent discount for the customs duties on the export of bee products to the European Union under the General Scheme of Preferences, before emphasizing the need to meet the high quality requirements of food products.