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September, 2026…
Honey production is expected to reach 97,000–100,000 tonnes this year…
Ali Demir, Chair of the Central Union of Turkish Beekeepers (TAB), stated that they expect honey production in 2026 to reach 97,000–100,000 tonnes.
ANKARA…
In a written statement, Demir shared his assessments regarding the 2026 honey harvesting season.
Noting that the honey harvest has largely been completed in various regions of Türkiye, whilst the harvesting season continues in pine honey production areas, Demir emphasised that beekeepers’ primary expectation is for honey to be marketed at its true value.
Pointing out that the 2026 production season unfolded under varying conditions across different regions of the country, Demir said, “Whilst rainfall and floral development had a positive impact on production in some of our regions, yield losses were experienced in others due to climatic conditions. There are approximately 9 million beehives in Türkiye. We expect honey production in 2026 to reach levels of 97–100 thousand tonnes. The exact figures will become clearer once the pine honey harvest is complete.”
“The beekeeper’s labour and the value of our honey must be protected“
Reminding out that beekeepers produce honey not only during the honey harvest period but throughout the entire year, with great effort and at significant cost, Demir explained, “Behind every kilogram of honey lies not just the day of harvesting, but also the care and feeding of the colony, the fight against diseases and pests, accommodation, transport, labour and ever-increasing production costs.”
Stressing that it is unacceptable for the honey produced by beekeepers to be priced below its true value, Demir added, “The hard work of our beekeepers and the value of our honey must be protected. The improvements made to beekeeping support for 2026 are significant. The increase in the basic support for beekeepers who are members of the association to 250 lira per hive and the total support to up to 475 lira per hive when combined with additional criteria, is a valuable step for organised production.”
“Our priority is for our beekeepers to remain in production, to receive the reward for their labour and for Turkish honey to achieve the value it deserves. If our beekeepers grow stronger, our sector grows stronger; if our sector grows stronger, Turkish beekeeping will advance even further,” Demir concluded…
