Honey exports value amounted to $10 million [Archives:2004/752/Business & Economy]
By Mahyoub al-Kamali
Yemen Times Staff
The government care and interest in solving problems and hindrances facing Yemeni honey production have led to achieving a qualitative leap in exports of this commodity, especially after the establishment of Bee Honey Centre at the University of Hadramout for Science and Technology. The honey exports value has exceeded $10 millions annually.
Sources in Mukalla have mentioned that the center has built training and research apiary and a laboratory for examining honey. The center has also held training courses for apiculturists and publishing guidance bulletins and books as well as marketing Yemeni honey in participations abroad.
The sources made it clear that the center would work in future for organization of courses and researches on honey and ways of increasing it production, in addition to keeping record of apiaries in the country. According to statistical figures the types of bees in Yemen exceeded a million producing more than 350 tons at a total value of over 10 million.
Despite of these accomplishments the Yemeni honey is still confronted with challenges and impediments, mainly the methods of maintaining its reputation and quality in external markets. For this reason the honey bee center at Hadramout University works for preparing standard specifications for types of the Yemeni honey, building a laboratory for examining honey under fun ding by the rural development project as well as preparing a perception on organizing the exported portion of local production along with enlightenment on preservation of Christ-thorn trees.
Those concerned with and interested in apiculture affairs note that there is unfairness against the Christ-thorn tree whose number is dwindling and the areas planted with it is decreasing. This is a matter demanding setting up a plan for preserving this tree and expansion in its plantation in order to keep up with the continuous increase in preparing classes of bees. Those apiarists call for the necessity of issuing legislations organizing the process of Yemeni apiculture for developing honey production and increasing it exportation to external markets.
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