MoALI Union Minister meets Myanmar Apiculture Association to boost honey production

U Min Naung, Union Minister for Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation (MoALI), met officials from the Myanmar Apiculture Association, private beekeepers, and honey exporters who visited the Seed Exhibition (2024) being held at the Institute of Agriculture in Pyinmana Township, Nay Pyi Taw, on the morning of 2 February and discussed the development of beekeeping and honey production.
During the meeting, officials of the Myanmar Apiculture Association and private entrepreneurs discussed the necessary support from the Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary to carry out bee disease prevention and treatment nationwide, to facilitate the transport of beehives from one place to another, to facilitate the process of exporting honey, and to be able to issue a certificate of approval from the Department of Agriculture’s laboratory for the honey to be exported.
Then, the Union minister discussed that by cooperating with beekeeping to ensure good pollination for crops, including sunflower, to get two streams of income, as well as support for improved crop yields, to educate farmers to participate in a wide range of activities, to expand the production of honey, which is in demand in the foreign market, as well as being used locally as medicine and nutrition, to coordinate with the department and private cooperation opportunities, and to coordinate with relevant departments.
The Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department is conducting education and service activities for the development of the bee industry in 31 townships in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Regions, and States. During the 2023–2024 financial year, 818 state-owned and private beekeeping businesses are operating, with nearly 209,021 beehives. More than 4,100 metric tons of honey have been produced, and about 2,000 metric tonnes have been exported to Japan, China, Thailand, Korea, and Germany. In the 2022–2023 financial year, about US$3 million was earned from the export of honey abroad. — MNA/TKO