In May of the current financial year 2023-2024, Myanmar achieved a significant milestone by exporting over 300 tonnes of honey, valued at US$0.505 million, to international markets. These figures were reported by the Apiculture Division under the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department.
Out of the total honey exports, Thailand received 140.7 tonnes, Japan imported 176 tonnes, and the Republic of Korea purchased 20 tonnes. In total, Myanmar exported 336.7 tonnes of honey.
In April, Myanmar had already conveyed 100.41 tonnes of honey worth US$0.15 million to foreign markets. Thailand and Japan were the primary recipients, with 60.3 tonnes and 40.11 tonnes of honey, respectively.
Over the past two months, Myanmar’s honey exports amounted to $0.655 million, with a total volume exceeding 400 tonnes. The Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, and Singapore were the major destinations for Myanmar’s honey exports.
Beekeeping businesses in Myanmar are mainly concentrated in Sagaing Region, Mandalay Region, Magway Region, and Shan State. The country produces various types of honey, including sesame honey, jujube honey, Niger honey, sunflower honey, lychee honey, and flower honey. The harvest season for sesame honey has commenced in June.
In Myanmar, honey serves as a traditional medicine and also contributes to the country’s foreign income through exports. The beekeeping industry comprises both state-owned beekeeping stations with 6,200 beehives, and approximately 820 private beekeeping businesses operating with nearly 200,000 beehives. Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, and Shan State are the primary regions for apiculture and honey production businesses.
Furthermore, bee pollination is facilitated on approximately two million acres of crops annually. This year, 11 per cent of sunflower acreages have been designated as pollen sources. The proximity of beekeeping businesses to crop fields plays a crucial role in ensuring successful crop yields and high-quality honey production.
Myanmar has an annual honey production of about 7,000 tonnes, with an average production capacity of 70 pounds per beehive. Approximately 2,600 tonnes of honey are exported to foreign markets each year, with Myanmar’s honey commanding a price of $1,600 per tonne.
In the 2022-2023 financial year (April-March), Myanmar shipped more than 1,900 tonnes of honey to external markets, with an estimated value exceeding $2.8 million. Of this total, 1,853.74 tonnes were exported by sea, while 63.44 tonnes were transported to neighbouring countries via cross-border channels. — NN/EM
