The project aims at increasing self-sufficiency of Qatar in honey production and providing extra income to the farmers encouraging them to invest in agricultural sector.
Qatar’s honey production almost doubled last year compared to 2017 thanks to the national project for beekeeping of the Ministry of Municipality and Environment.
Under the project, the local honey production increased over 10.4 tonnes in 2018 from over 6.3 tonnes in 2017, the Ministry said in report released recently. The project helped produce about 31 tonnes of honey of the nectar of flowering plants of Sidr, Al Rabi and Al Samur from 2013 to 2018.
Qatar is witnessing the second harvesting season of honey which falls in May. There are two honey harvesting seasons in Qatar. Sidr honey is harvested in November and Al Rabi and Al Samur honey is harvested in May.
The honey production in Qatar was recorded 2.1 tonnes in 2013 which increased to about 4 tonnes in 2014. The production increased in 2015 reaching to over 3.1 tonnes. However, it increased significantly to over 4.8 tonnes in 2016.
The national project for beekeeping by the Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment was launched across the country in 2013. The initiative helped converting the beekeeping from hobby of some individuals to a profitable business.
The project aims at increasing self-sufficiency of Qatar in honey production and providing extra income to the farmers encouraging them to invest in agricultural sector. The national project for beekeeping in Qatar aims at supporting honey bee farming to boost the production.
Earlier speaking at an event, Yousuf Al Khulaifi, Director, Agricultural Affairs Department at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment said that the national project for beekeeping was launched in 2013 with 30 bee-farms. “Now we have hundreds of local bee-farms. Many of them have doubled their production with the support of the ministry,” said Al Khulaifi.
The Agricultural Affairs Department provides beehives with all the other necessary accessories to the farmers.They are also provided training on latest techniques of bee-farming. The farms were provided by the ministry special packages to market their products so as to attract the customers.
A local beekeeper said that the Ministry distributed complete tools and equipment for bee keeping and provided various platforms for marketing the products.
He added that all local farms interested in beekeeping were provided beehives, dresses, containers for storing and other necessary things free of cost, one time to encourage them to begin the business. He said there are three types of honey in Qatar – Sidr, Samur and Al Rabi according to the seasonal flowers and Sidr honey is being produced in large quantity in Qatar and has the highest demand.
