“Honey Forest Action Plan” implemented by General Directorate of Forestry (OGM) ramped up the number of hives and honey production in Turkey.
The number of hives, which was 5.6 million in 2010, increased to 8 million as of this year and honey production increased from 81 thousand tonnes to 110 thousand tons.
OGM, carrying out some works for sustainable production across Turkey which takes place among the leading honey producers in the the world, continues to set up ‘honey forests’ in the country.
OGM, opened 75 thousand 274 hectares of land to the use of beekepeers across the country, has formed 585 ‘honey forests in every region of Turkey on top of Muğla province which holds the global reserve in pine honey.
While market value of honey production in Turkey is likely about 450 million dollars, nearly 150 thousand households provide additional income. The added value of this production is estimated to reach approximately 1 billion dollars.
OGM aims to increase the annual production of this product to 125 thousand tonnes, including 40 thousand tonnes of pine honey and the number of honey forests to 720 in 2023.
Thanks to the “Honey Forests Action Plan” put into effect by the institution in 2010 in order to maintain the ecological balance in honey, to ensure sustainable production and to provide income especially to forest villagers, a significant increase in production has been achieved.
Thanks to the project, which was implemented in 2013-2017 and later developed to cover the 2018-2023 period, the number of hives from 2010 to 2020 increased from approximately 5.6 million to 8 million and honey production from 81 thousand tonnes to 110 thousand tonnes.
The institution has established 167 honey forests on 17,998 hectares of land in the last 2.5 years and offered them to the use of beekeepers. 13.5 million liras was spent for the expenses of the said facilities and 2.5 million liras was spent for the honey forest maintenance expenses. In the last 10 years, honey forests facility and maintenance expenses have reached 48.5 million liras in total.
85 percent of honey production comes from forests…
Since bees have an important role in maintaining the existence of many species in nature, thus in the continuity and diversification of plant gene resources and in the protection of biological diversity, forest trees such as chestnut, lime, acacia, rhododendron, wild rose and herbaceous plants and flowers in forest areas are also taken into account. 85 percent of its production is obtained from here.