Iran’s National Union of Beekeepers has slammed lack of transparency and provision of inaccurate data when it comes to beekeeping sector in Iran.
“Based on the statistics we have received from the beekeepers across the country, the average honey crop per hive is between three and five kilograms”, said the general manager of the union, Effat Raeisi, after pointing to the dramatic fall in natural honey yield in the current Iranian year – which started March 21.
She added that the officials in the agriculture ministry may announce between 60,000 and 70,000 tons of honey yield, but based on realities we have only yielded 20,000 tons of natural honey.
According to statistics provided by the government, more than 65,000 beekeepers, with a total of 5.6 million beehives, produce 71,142 tons of honey per annum. Based on state data, 3,700 tons of honey is annually exported while the country has no honey import.
Raeisi further criticized those who provide the agriculture ministry with incorrect data and stressed that the government would not be able to properly formulate plans for the beekeeping sector.
She said numerous factors have hit the production including haze, rise in temperature, famine, lack of clean water resources, shortage of medicine, and scarcity of pollen resources.
