Beekeepers worry as production, price fall

Reduction in production and price of honey during the mustard season is worrying beekeepers in the district.

Beekeepers of the district and outside collected around 150 tonnes of honey from the local mustard fields last year, but the production will not be more than 100 tonnes this year, said Dulal Hossain, president of greater Mymensingh region of National Apiculturists Foundation.

The reason behind the reduced production is mainly non-stop rain for a few days in mid- December, which caused damage to mustard flowers, he added.

Dulal, of Panch Terilla village in Bhuapur upazila, said he had set up his 330 bee colonies in the mustard fields at Mirikpur under Basail upazila this season and got around two tonnes of honey.

Dulal, also former president of the central unit of Mou Chashi Kalyan Samity, said he had got three tonnes of honey from the same number of colonies last year.

"I sold the honey to the AP company at Tk 6,000 per maund last year but this year the company is offering only Tk 4,000 per maund," he added.

The situation of around 100 apiculturists, including around 50 commercial honey cultivators, at 12 upazilas in the district is the same, Dulal said.

The number of apiculturists in the district is decreasing because of different problems, including inability to get right prices of the product due to lack of necessary modern marketing facilities, he added.

"Around 7,500 bee colonies were supposed to be set up at the mustard fields in the district this year, but the number has increased to over 10,000," said Tangail Department of Agriculture Extension Deputy Director Abdur Razzak.

Apiculturists from outside the district, especially from Satkhira, also set up their bee colonies in local mustard fields, he said.

"It is true that rain during December damaged mustard flowers in the district, reducing honey production. However, production target of 50 tonnes by local beekeepers in the district has already been achieved this year," he added.

"Necessary technology-based modern training will be given to the local apiculturists from next year for increasing their number as well as increasing honey production," he added.