Nearly 100 acres of land burned

Fire in the mountainous are of Erbil destroys 150 beehives

2024-07-27 | 16:42

BALAKAYATI—A fire in the mountains of the village of Welashe in the Balakayati area, Soran, has destroyed 150 beehives on Friday.

Rawand Hawdiani, a spokesperson for the Soran Civil Defense, told 964media, “Eleven civil defense teams participated in controlling the fire, and by the evening, it was brought under control after burning more than 400 dunams of land (approximately 99 acres).”

In addition to environmental damage, Hawdiani stated that the fire destroyed 150 beehives, but over 100 others were successfully saved from the fire.

Dana Mohammed, a resident of Balakayati, was present during the fire and sent a video of the burning beehives to 964media. He said, “It was a large fire; I saw with my own eyes the beehives burning, and there were bees swarming around the burning boxes.”

Annual fluctuations in honey production in the Kurdistan Region have been noted over the past years. From 2020 to 2022, production increased consistently. In 2020, Kurdistan Region produced 500 tons of honey. This increased to 700 tons in 2021 and reached nearly 1,000 tons in 2022. However, in 2023, production fell back to 500 tons.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kurdistan Region, there are a total of 8,635 beekeepers across the region.

Previously, the Kurdistan Beekeepers Association raised concerns about the decline in bee populations due to the widespread use of pesticides in the region.

Association head Ahmed Pshdari estimates that 30% of the region’s bees have disappeared, based on observations, expressing concerns over the lack of official data on bee population decline. He further linked the decline in bee populations to a corresponding 30% reduction in honey production in the Kurdistan Region last year, compared to previous years.

Kurdish-produced honey has shown its potential for success on the global stage. In August 2022, the 16th International Asian Beekeepers Conference in Saudi Arabia awarded Kurdistan’s honey the title of “Best Honey” for the year.

In November 2023, the KRG announced the arrival of the region’s first shipment of honey to Doha, involving approximately 200 beekeepers contributing two tons of honey. This initiative aimed to market local products and establish new relationships with Gulf markets.

In Mid-June, Zakho district, Duhok, announced further plans to begin exporting honey, pomegranates, and olive oil to Qatar following a new agreement between the Zakho administration and Qatari companies.