Pure honey production can boost economy

Speakers at a conference in Khulna have stressed the need for producing and collecting pure honey from natural sources to maintain its hygiene and quality.

The sale of substandard honey by many unscrupulous traders has become a common phenomenon in the country, said the discussants.

In most cases, they make honey from sugar as the price of Sundarbans' honey is much costlier, they said, adding that generally, one cannot distinguish this impure honey from the pure one.

Addressing the conference as chief guest, Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque said honey is a heritage of the Sundarbans. It is possible to increase the export of quality honey to different countries by proper processing from this region, he added.

He emphasised proper marketing of domestic honey through the creation of entrepreneurship in a bid to eliminate unemployment and boost the country's economy.

The conference titled "Bee and Honey" was held at Khulna Convention Centre in the city yesterday, organised by Bee and Honey Association of Bangladesh.

The conference was 3rd of its kind of association where farmers, traders, researchers and consumers met and discussed how to enrich the sector, said its President Syed Mohammad Moinul Anwar.

The initiative was taken to increase awareness, remove common misconceptions about honey, and build good relations between researchers, farmers, producers, traders and consumers, said Moinul.

About 400 beekeepers, traders and researchers from different districts participated in the conference.