Kurdistan’s beekeepers advocate for import restrictions

ERBIL, November 23 — Statistics from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Agriculture reveal that over 8,000 beekeepers are engaged in honey production across the region’s cities, with Duhok having the largest number of apiaries.

Many beekepers, however, say they cannot rely on it as their primary source of livelihood, so they are urging the government to ban imports and promote the sale of locally produced honey.

Ahmed Bashdari, head of the Beekeepers Organization in Kurdistan, told 964, “There is a significant number of beekeepers in the region, but not all have turned beekeeping into a profession or a source of income. It is crucial for beekeepers in Kurdistan to ban honey imports and restrict sales to local products in the region.”

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.