Honey yield falls for lack of buyers
Apiculturists have no processing facility while large quantities imported
Honeybee boxes of apiculturist Nur Alam at a mustard field at Torabgaj in Tangail Sadar upazila.Photo: STAR
Though an exceptional venture, honey production has drawn many enterprising youths in Tnagail and some other districts who are producing hundreds of tonnes of pure and good quality honey every year. The honey producers, however, are losing interest in apiculture due to lack of processing and marketing facilities. Honey production declined this year as a large quantity is lying unsold just for lack of marketing facilities, which is threatening the prospective sector having good export potential, some apiculturists said. Over 1,000 mounds of pure honey are lying unsold with commercial apiculturists only in Bhuapur, Gopalpur, Madhupur and Sakhipur upazilas in Tangail district. The honey was produced since November last year in mustard fields and orchards in different areas of the upazila, the apiculturists said. Last year's yield is unsold as they could not market it while big buyers including pharmaceutical companies and food processing industries import honey from abroad. Apiculturists knocked different pharmaceutical companies and food processing industries in Dhaka and Gazipur but they did not show any interest to buy local honey, said Dulal Miah, secretary of Bhuapur Upazila Apiculture Cooperative Association. The bulk buyers earlier wanted processed honey. Though three processing units have been set up in different places in Dhaka, Gazipur and Manikganj by some NGOs, now the big buyers are not showing any interest about the locally produced honey, Dulal said during a recent visit to the area. The big buyers import most of the honey from India and Australia. Nurul Islam, director of Bangladesh Institute of Apiculture (BIA) in Dhaka, when contacted could not specify the quantity of honey imported annually. "It (the imported quantity) is several hundreds tonnes", he said. "There are at least 25,000 apiculturists including 1,000 commercial producers in the country. They produce at least 1,200 tonnes of good quality honey a year. The demand for honey in the country is around 2,000 tonnes annually ", he added. Honey, the best food item gifted by nature for humans, is used for producing medicines and food items. This correspondent found about 60 mounds of honey stored at Dulal's farm in Bhuapur. He said he had supplied 75 mounds to two parties in the capital on credit last year but they are yet to pay him. Abul Hossain, director of Apiculture Development Organisation, said though a huge quantity of locally produced honey remains unsold, Bangladeshi companies import it. Over 500 apiculturists including 50 commercial producers produce at least 100 tonnes of honey at 12 upazilas in Tangail district, he said. Apiculturists Ariful Haque of Bhutia village in Gopalpur upazila said he produced over 100 mounds of honey during mustard season last year but most of it is still unsold. Among others, Faruque Miah and Ashraf Ali of Agterilla village, Babul Miah of Balarampur village and Jwel Miah of Betua village in Bhuapur upazila; Sakhi Charan and Abu Taleb Miah of Taktarchala village in Sakhipur upazila; and Abdul Hye of Rashulpur village, Abdus Salam and Naosher Ali of Ambaria village in Madhupur upazila also have stocks of honey. Commercial apiculturist Abu Taleb of Taktarchala village in Sakhipur claimed that as a large quantity of honey remained unsold, its production declined over 50 percent last year in litichi orchards in Iswardi upazila in Pabna and Kapasia upazila in Gazipur. Spraying insecticides in orchards also accounted for the fall in production as use of insecticides killed millions of honeybees, he said.
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