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Professional standards are coming for beekeepers…
Ali Demir, Chair of the Turkish Beekeepers’ Central Union (TAB), stated that they have initiated work to establish the ‘National Vocational Standard for Beekeeping’ in collaboration with the Vocational Qualifications Authority of Türkiye (MYK).
Ankara…
In a statement to an Anatolian Agency (AA) correspondent, Demir said that as the central union, they represent beekeepers and bees in Türkiye with 72,325 members across 81 provinces.
“Türkiye ranks second in the world with an annual honey production of 95,492 tonnes and is the third country in the world with 8.9 million colonies,” Demir said.
Reporting that beekeeping in Türkiye has the potential for nine months of production and they are accelerating their efforts to develop the critically important beekeeping sector, Demir noted, “As part of these efforts, we visited MYK President Aşkın Tören and discussed the implementation of training and certification processes, strengthening traceability in production, enhancing the prestige of the beekeeping profession and bringing it into line with international standards.”
Pointing out that following the recognition of beekeeping as a profession in the country, they would take another important step, Demir explained, “We had initiated work in collaboration with MYK to establish the ‘National Occupational Standard for Beekeeping.’ The national occupational standard officially defines the knowledge, skills and competencies required for the profession, ensuring that it is practised with the same quality throughout the country. Our aim is to clarify the definition and scope of the beekeeping profession within a legal framework, to create an education programme suited to today’s needs and to further strengthen the reputation of this ancient profession.”
‘Beekeepers to produce according to common standards’
Highlighting that thanks to this work, beekeepers will produce according to common standards, Demir concluded:
“The quality and variety of bee products will increase and our sector will gain a stronger structure. Beekeeping is a strategic profession for both our biological diversity and food security. Therefore, determining the standards of the profession is an investment in our country’s future. However, this is a long process. Our experts on the subject have started working. In the coming days, we will draft the national beekeeping profession standard and make the necessary applications to the MYK.”
