DUSHANBE, 20.06.2023 (NIAT Khovar) – In continuation of his working trip in Khovaling district, the Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, visited the exhibition of honey, and took part and spoke at the seminar-consultation of the beekeepers of the country.

At this exhibition, 28 stands were set up, and the beekeepers of the country presented honey products, including beeswax, nectar, bee glue, royal jelly and many types of honey.

Honorable Leader of the Nation, Emomali Rahmon, had a sincere conversation with beekeepers, scientists and experts in the field, and expressed satisfaction with the results of their work and remarkable activity.

More than 70 tons of honey, packed in different shapes and sizes by the beekeepers of the Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous Province, Sughd and Khatlon provinces, cities and districts of the republican subordination, and the beekeeping SUE «Asali Tojikiston» of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tajikistan, were presented at the exhibition.

According to the officials, as of June 1, 2023, there are 263 thousand 703 families of bees in all forms of agriculture of the republic, including 8 thousand 392 families in Badakhshan, 79 thousand 828 families in Sughd, 64 thousand 66 families in Khatlon and subordinate cities and districts. 111 thousand 417 families grow in the republic, which is more by 6 thousand 586 more than the same period last year.

In this period, the production of commercial honey includes 23.5 tons, this amount of honey was produced only in some districts of Khatlon Province, and now, with the onset of the season, honey collection will begin in other regions of the country.

Honorable Head of State Emomali Rahmon was informed that there are more than 10,000 beekeepers operating in the republic, and in all forms of farmings, an average of 4,500 tons of honey is produced annually, which includes up to 18 kilos of productivity per bee family.

It is worth noting that in order to develop the field of beekeeping in the republic, on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, state sector programs, including the «Program for the recovery and further development of the beekeeping industry in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2006 — 2010», the «Program for the further development of the beekeeping industry in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2011-2016» and the «Comprehensive program of development of the livestock industry in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2018-2022» were developed and implemented, which gave a fresh impetus to the development of beekeeping in the country.

The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan has developed the «Comprehensive Program for the Development of Livestock, Poultry, Fisheries and Beekeeping in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2023-2027» in order to provide permanent employment to the residents of the regions, increase the level of well-being, and thereby ensure the stability of the national economy. This program is in the implementation phase.

As part of the implementation of this program, 520,000 somoni were allocated from the state budget to the beekeeping SUE «Asali Tojikiston», 290 families of bees with all equipment, medicines and food were purchased and distributed to individual beekeepers of the country.

At the same time, 800 fertilized queen bees of «Carpathian» and «Kornik» breeds have been imported from abroad to improve the bee breeding in the country, and more than 10,000 bee families will be bred in the future. Of the imported queen bees, 60 of them were made available to beekeepers of Khovaling district.

Based on the instructions of the Head of State, taking into account the high demand for honey products in the country, 5 honey processing and packaging enterprises have been established by domestic entrepreneurs over the past few years, and one of them is in Khovaling district.

It should be said that the Khovaling district has a colorful nature, many healing flowers and plants grow in the highlands of this region, and these natural opportunities are very suitable for beekeeping and the development of the industry. Therefore, every year, bee families are increased in the district, and environmentally friendly products are obtained. Beekeepers of the district offer their collected honey to domestic and foreign consumer markets.

The result is that in 2022, 74.5 tons of honey was collected from 4 thousand 357 bee families in Khovaling district in all forms of farming. Currently, more than 150 beekeepers are working in the district, and there are 4,362 bee families in total.

Honorable Head of State Emomali Rahmon gave useful advice and recommendations for the beekeepers of the republic to increase the number of bee families and further develop this profitable industry.