MAIMANA (SW) – A number of beekeepers in Faryab say that this year the drought and the increase in pests in this province have caused a decrease in honey production.
They add that they are facing problems due to the import of counterfeit honey from neighboring countries and lack of access to processing facilities, and there is no support program from the government or other aid institutions in the field of honey production.
Pir Mohammad, the manager of one of the bee farms in Faryab, said that he had 26 bee boxes last year, but this year, due to the destruction of 23 beehives due to freezing last winter, its production has decreased. He added: “This year, I got about 80 kilograms of honey and added four beehives whereas last year, I had produced about 200 kilograms of honey. Sales are very poor and people are not buying. We don’t have the facilities, the government should cooperate with us.”
Seyyed Fazal Ahmad, a resident of Faryab, who has been beekeeping for three years, said that he has 20 beehives and produced around 100 kilograms of honey last year. But this year, it has produced about 60 kilograms of honey. He added: “If the government supports us and helps us with funds or wax, I can increase to 150 beehives in one year and have more production.”
Each kilogram of pure honey in Faryab is sold from 600 to 1500 afghanis, considering the differences in its flowers. The beekeepers in Faryab ask the authorities to create a suitable market for the sale of honey and export it to other countries.
Officials of the union of bee farmers in Faryab say that 140 bee boxes have been destroyed in this province. They add that last year more than 1,200 kilograms of honey was obtained from bee farms in Faryab while this figure has decreased by about 600 kilograms in the current year. According to the officials of this union, drought, reduction of natural flowers and increase of natural pests are the main factors of reduction of honey production in Faryab.
Abdullah Amiri, the head of the bee farmers’ union in Faryab, said that the department of agriculture, irrigation and livestock of Faryab and other institutions have not helped the farmers in this province so far in the field of beekeeping training, medicine distribution and lack of funds. He adds: “This year our honey production has decreased by 50%. On the one hand, the cold weather weakened the bees, and on the other hand, there was a drought, and also diseases such as the American locust, a type of mite, and the attack of bumblebees, caused beekeepers to not be able to work and honey not to be collected.”
However, the officials in the Faryab department of agriculture say that in the past years, bee farms in this province have prospered and 18 farms have been registered in this department, and 226 bee boxes are bred in these farms.
Seyed Zaher, the director of farms of the Faryab department of agriculture, also says that drought, natural pests and non-professionalism of farmers have caused a decrease in honey production in this province. He addsed “Beekeeping in Faryab has grown in a short time and we are trying to support them in terms of training programs and increasing the production of farmers, with the coordination of governmental and non-governmental institutions.”
According to the statistics of the union, nearly 30 farms are active in this province, where more than 500 beehives are raised and honey is produced three times a year.
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