Beekeepers in Tangail export honey to India

TANGAIL, Oct 05: Honey is being exported to India from the district as good quality honey is produced locally.
Among the 12 upazilas, Madhupur upazila is producing the largest quantity of honey in the district.
Sources at the Modhu Unnayan Sangstha (MUS) said honey was being produced in Modhupur upazila on commercial basis since 1990s.
Later, the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BISCIC) and Grameen Bank helped the honey farmers by providing them training and loan facilities.
Some other local organisations are also supporting honey farmers and helping them expand the venture across the country.
President of MUS Abul Hossain said his organisation has been providing training to the farmers on honey cultivation process for the last several years.
According to the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), in the last mustard season, DAE set a target of set-up around 7,200 bee colonies with a production target of 72,000 kgs of honey. But cultivators set up 11,647 bee colonies and produced over 82,668 kgs of honey.
The honey cultivators of the district import hybrid 'Melifera' variety of bee from India for getting more production of honey, DAE sources added.
The district produces a total 800 tonnes of honey per year.
President of Bangladesh Mouchash Kalyan Samity, Bhuapur upazila, Dulal Hossain said he has a total of 240 bee boxes around his mustard field. In the last mustard season, he collected about 60 maunds of honey, he added.
In the month of January when the mustard season ends, Dulal shifts his bee colonies to other districts of the country to collect honey.
In the month of February and March Dulal Miah shifts his bee colonies to Dinajpur district as litchi flowers bloom there at that time, he added.
Just like Dulal Miah, many honey cultivators are in the district such as Ashraf Ali and Jhumur in Bhuapur upazila, Arif, Ripon and Monir Gopalpur upazila, and Motaleb, Jahid and Rafiqul at Madhupur upazila do the same.
Abul Hossain said last year Indian 'Dabur' company had purchased honey from Tangail. In the current year they also want to buy honey from Bangladesh, especially a large quantity from Tangail district, he said.
Abul Hossain claimed some local medicine company imported honey from other countries, but if they buy from local producers, then local growers will be more benefited.
Deputy Director of Tangail DAE Abdur Razzak said, "It is true the buyers from abroad buy honey from local producers but they are not getting price as per their expectation."
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