Iran produces 770,000 tons of honey annually, accounting for only 0.4% of the global honey production, according to an official at the agriculture ministry, Mashallah Jamshidi. The number of beehives in the country currently stands at 1.65 million, compared with 81 million in the world, IRNA quoted the official as saying. He mentioned limited incentives offered to beekeepers as one reason for low honey production and called on the government to provide more loans and facilities to boost production.
