Honey Production in Herat Rises 50%

Local officials in Herat say honey production in the province has increased by 50% compared with last year.

According to officials, nearly 250 tons of honey have been produced in Herat this year, and efforts are underway to create opportunities for exports.

Mohammad Arif Wasel, deputy head of the Herat Beekeepers Association, said: “Afghanistan’s honey is better in quality than honey from neighboring countries because the country has vast areas with flowering plants.”

Honeybees in Herat feed on natural flowers in gardens and mountainous areas, helping produce high-quality honey.

However, beekeepers in Herat are concerned about the import of low-quality honey from neighboring countries and its sale in domestic markets.

Noor Ahmad, a beekeeper, said: “We ask the government to prevent the import of low-quality honey so that we can sell the high-quality honey produced in Herat and across Afghanistan at a good price.”

Mohammad Nabi, another beekeeper, said: “We want imports of foreign honey to be stopped so that locally produced honey can be sold. Our honey is high quality, but imported honey is often of poor quality.”

The Herat Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock says a joint working group consisting of representatives from different government departments has been formed to collect low-quality honey from markets.

Over the past five months, the group has collected and destroyed more than 600 kilograms of low-quality and fake honey.

Omid Timori, head of the Herat Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, said: “We are working to find suitable foreign markets for honey and other bee products. Through domestic exhibitions and by attracting investors and foreign traders, we are trying to introduce our high-quality honey to international markets.”

According to the Herat Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock, there are nearly 30,000 beehives in the province, and women carry out 20% of honey production and harvesting activities.