Nepali honey facing market problem with 21 tonnes remaining in stock

Kathmandu, June 6: Beekeepers have been facing problems of market for honey they are producing. Around 21 tonnes of honey produced by them is currently unsold, according to the Federation of Nepal Beekeepers. 

Last year, 69 tonnes of honey remained unsold. Problems of market for honey they had produced had been resolved to some extent last year after the beekeepers met with Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ram Nath Adhikari, and complained for not getting market of their production. 

During that period, Dabur Nepal had purchased some amount of honey produced by the farmers. The beekeepers have been saying that there is a situation where there will be stock of a large amount of honey for lack of market.

However, bee experts said it is not true that the honey produced by farmers has remained unsold in lack of demand, it is due to lack of consumers' trust on Nepali honey. 

Federation Chairperson Subas Chandra Ghimire shared that honey fair was organized in Kathmandu with an objective of providing information about honey, as well as marketing the product. 

Bee expert Jagadish Bhakta Shrestha shared that honey produced from mustard crystalizes quickly as well as honey is crystallized in the temperature below 13-14 degree Celsius, which is natural.

The honey loss it's some qualities while heating it, he added, stating that honey is beneficial for nutrients.

Problem in marketing Nepali honey

Shiv Prasad Sharma Paudel, the outgoing president of the Nepal Bee Keepers Association, stated that although the consumption of honey has many benefits, there is a problem with its marketability. He says that after the honey sales declined, beekeepers reached a point of quitting the trade in previous years. During that time, after pressure was applied to the government, the issue of marketing was somewhat resolved.

"We, as Nepali farmers, suggest buying the honey produced by us, as natural honey will crystallize, while honey that does not crystallize could be spurious," he said. Bikash Nepal, the operator of B and B Honey Firm from Kalika Municipality in Chitwan, who was at the fair, expressed the belief that such fairs would help in the marketing of honey.

Rajendra Gautam, former president of the Nepal Beekeepers' Association, states that the amount of honey that should be consumed in Nepal is not being produced. He complains that farmers are facing problems due to the produced honey not finding a market. 

"Nepali honey is good in quality, but we have not been able to make consumers understand this; the misconception that honey is fake also creates problems in its marketing," he said. Gautam says that the government should also assist in the marketing of the honey produced.

As he said, although the international market for Nepali honey is good, it is exported only in very small quantities.

Sujan Amgai, the head of the Honey Development Centre in Bhandara, said honey worth more than Rs 50 million is exported every year. He believes this demonstrates the possibility of exporting honey produced in Nepal to international markets.He mentioned that if honey can be produced meeting the standards set by various countries, honey exports could be increased.

Farmers complain of depleting forage for bees

According to beekeeping farmers, there are problems not only in the marketing of honey but also in foraging the bees.

Farmers say that it is necessary to address problems such as the need to pay fees for bee conservation and bee foraging due to the growing use of pesticides.

Beekeeper farmers themselves cannot directly sell honey in the market. They need to obtain a food license from the government. Not every farmer can have a processing unit. This is also why experts say Nepali honey is not sold.

Januka Thapa, the president of the Nepal Beekeeping Central Cooperative Association, explains these various problems and emphasizes the need to organize beekeeping farmers to work on the marketing of honey.

At the ongoing Honey Festival at Bhrikuti Mandap, there are 40 stalls featuring honey, beehives, pollen, propolis, hats, brushes, and other items related to beekeeping. Farmers from all seven provinces are participating in the fair. On this occasion, a discussion related to honey has also been organized.

Subash Chandra Ghimire, the coordinator of the Honey Fair, the fair will provide information about the technologies used in beekeeping, different species of bees, and honey-related information.

The farmers affiliated with the federation have produced 226 tonnes of honey this year alone. In Nepal, there are 12,138 colonies of the Serena bee and 6,500 colonies of the Mellifera bee. There are 711 farmers who raise Serena and 270 farmers who raise Mellifera bees, affiliated with the federation. (RSS)