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Ankara University Veterinary Faculty Dean Professor Dr. Ender Yarsan reported that the amount of honey production in 2023 is 114 thousand 886 tonnes.
Dr. Ender Yarsan said that Türkiye has the largest flora in Europe with more than 10 thousand flowering plant species.
“Approximately 3 thousand of them are endemic to our country. Therefore, Türkiye is also very rich in terms of honey bee gene diversity. Our country, where approximately 75 percent of the world flora is located, is a very suitable environment for beekeeping activities in terms of climatic conditions, vegetation and geographical features. Our country has always been among the top 3 countries in the world in terms of the number of hives and honey production until recently,” Dr Yarsan said.
“Honey production amount for 2023 is 114 thousand 886 tonnes”
Stating that there are 9.2 million hives in a total of 100 thousand 399 enterprises with 2023 data, Dr. Yarsan explained, “The amount of honey production in 2023 is 114 thousand 886 tonnes. There are 29 registered honey with geographical indication in the countyr. As of 2023, the provinces with the highest number of hives were Muğla, Ordu, Adana, Mersin and İzmir, while the provinces with the highest honey production were Ordu, Adana, Muğla, Sivas and İzmir.”
“Although there has been a spike in the number of hives in our country in recent years, the amount of honey produced has not been directly proportional to the increase in the amount of hives due to errors and inadequacies in practice such as the lack of technical knowledge of breeders, inadequacy in the fight against diseases, inadequate and ineffective use of drugs and trying to ensure the continuation of colonies with poor quality and old queen bees,” Dr. Yarsan noted.
Pointing out that honey yield per hive remains at the level of 15-16 kilograms across the country, Dr. Yarsan added, “Obviously, this situation is recognised as a problem that needs to be worked on. Of course, in addition to this, the quality of products obtained from bees, especially honey, their status in terms of drug and chemical residues and the deficiencies in legislation are also approaches that need to be evaluated.”
