Even though production is lower than consumption, it is becoming difficult to sell Nepali honey. Farmers say that imports have increased because Indian honey is cheaper.
What you should know
Beekeepers are busy carrying beehives to feed their bees in the forests and fields at this time. The chiuri is blooming in the forest areas. Similarly, the mustard is blooming in the fields. The juice of the chiuri and mustard flowers is good for bees to produce honey. Therefore, the farmers travel far and wide carrying bee colonies. But at this time, they seemed worried when the government opened the import of honey.
Shiva Sharma Poudel of Kholesimal, Chitwan is now in Dang. He started beekeeping with one hive 23 years ago and has now grown to 200 hives. ‘This is the time when the chiuri blossoms in the forest area of Ghorahi, Dang. Bees make good honey from the juice of the chiuri. That is why I have brought 130 hives of bees to Dang,’ said Sharma. Since the mustard also blooms at this time, there are beehives near the mustard fields.
‘We have been enduring hardships. We became even more worried after hearing that the government had decided to open honey imports on Asoj 27,’ said Sharma. Poudel, who is also the outgoing president of the Nepal Beekeepers Federation, informed that 4,192 tons of honey was produced in Nepal last year. Nepali farmers were in great distress for two years after honey was not sold. Honey was piled up in every house.
‘Farmers sat with honey containers under their beds.’ After Nepali honey became difficult to sell, the then Agriculture Minister Jwala Sah stopped honey imports. Last year, Agriculture Minister Ramnath Adhikari made a mandatory provision that Nepal’s multinational honey industries must purchase at least half of the honey produced by Nepali farmers,’ Poudel said. Due to this, Nepali honey was slowly being sold.
But he said that honey imports were opened on Asoj 27 so that this provision would not continue. He said that 9,200 tons of honey are consumed in Nepal annually. Nepali farmers have not been able to produce even half of the honey consumed. Even though production is less than consumption, it is becoming difficult to sell Nepali honey. Farmers say that imports have increased because Indian honey is cheaper.
‘The price of Chiuri and Mustari honey is different. The wholesale price of honey from mustard flowers ranges from Rs 250 to Rs 400 per kilo. The price of honey from wild sources, i.e., from the juice of the Chiuri flower, ranges from Rs 400 to Rs 600 per kilo, said Shalikram Baniya, a beekeeper farmer from Makawanpur Manahari. He is also the general secretary of the Beekeepers Federation.
He said that the price of Indian honey is half of this. ‘The cost price is higher in Nepal. There is no strictness in the quality of imported honey. That is why we are suffering from the price. Since foreign honey is cheap, we import it but our products are not bought,’ said Baniya. Outgoing chairman Poudel says that the cost of honey produced by Nepali farmers should be fixed and customs duties should be fixed.
‘Corn syrup and sugar syrup brought from abroad to make chocolate are also used as honey. "The quantity of such syrup should be determined for chocolate and other products and only the required amount of syrup should be allowed to be brought," Poudel said. He demanded that programs such as grants be introduced to encourage honey entrepreneurs to expand the market for Nepali honey.
"Multinational companies have also been saying that Nepali honey does not meet the standards. What are the standards for Nepali honey? What are the standards for local nectars? We also demand that honey outside that standard be set and not allowed to be used in Nepal," Poudel said.
There are around 15,000 beekeepers in Nepal, Poudel said. "The number of beekeepers who keep bees professionally, who take bee colonies from one place to another and go on a pilgrimage, is 2,175." Therefore, many families are affected by the decision taken regarding honey. For this reason, we appeal to the government to correct the decision. Otherwise, we will go on strike,' Poudel said.
