TEHRAN- Production of honey has risen 30 percent in Kordestan province, in the west of Iran, during the existing Iranian calendar year (began on March 21, 2022), as compared to the previous year, according to a provincial official.Referring to the census of apiaries in the province during October 8-20, 2022, Farzad Moaveni, the deputy head of the provinces Agriculture Department, notified about the favorable growth of honey production and the number of nests in the apiaries of the province.While referring to the number of nests in Kordestan province, he added: According to this census, there are 278,000 nests in the province, of which 97 percent are modern-day and three percent are native.

Announcing that a total of 2,435 lots of honey was produced in the province this year, he said: 2,415 tons of it were connected to contemporary colonies and 20 lots were related to native colonies.

Pointing out that the average production of honey in the contemporary colonies of the province was 8.6 kilograms and in the native nests was 2.9 kilograms, he reminded that there are 7,213 apiaries in the province, which shows a boost of 2.5 percent compared to the last year.Saying that 257 kilograms of royal jelly was produced in Kordestan this year, the deputy head of the provinces Agriculture Department said: One of the top priority jobs of the province is the development of beekeeping, which has actually been seriously pursued in the last few years.

Back in late August 2022, the director of the Agriculture Ministrys beekeeping advancement program said the nations yearly honey production is expected to reach 115,000 lots in the present Iranian calendar year 1401 (ends on March 20, 2023).

According to Touraj Saremi, the federal government has actually paid over 145 billion rials (over $500,000) of centers to the countrys beekeepers since August 2021 when the federal government took office.Saremi kept in mind that Agriculture Ministry has specified a five-year development strategy to reform the structure of the countrys apiaries and increase the amount and quality of honey production during the Iranian fiscal year 1401 to 1405 (begins in March 2026).

The application of this program needs the needed assistance for supplying inputs, implementing educational-training programs, and providing centers to beekeepers.

It is likewise required to supply apiaries with insurance coverage to lower the dangers and to ensure sustainable production, he said.The main noted that the ministry is also pursuing opening a line of credit to be able to fulfill part of the needs of producers in this sector within the structure of rules and regulations.As IRNA reported, Iranian beekeepers handled to produce 112,000 lots of honey in the previous Iranian calendar year.Due to the high quality of Iranian honey, the item is exported to numerous nations consisting of China, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq, and Lebanon.Back in March 2020, the former director of the Agriculture Ministrys beekeeping advancement strategy had actually stated the countrys beekeeping market was planned to become the leading farming sector in the nation, the leading honey manufacturer in the area, and a strong player in the world markets.

Benefiting from updated knowledge, and technology, the market is going to provide trustworthy, premium products with greater value-added, Farhad Moshir Qafari said.Over the previous five years, Irans beekeeping market shifted its focus from producing just one primary item, specifically honey, to producing other bee secretions such as royal jelly and bee venom, Qafari said.

Melittin is an extremely valuable bee venom extract that is currently imported, but the beekeeping industry has the potential to produce this compound inside, he stressed.MA/ MA