Honey production in Chitwan has decreased this year compared to last year, with a decline of 16.66 percent.
According to Sujan Angai, Chief of the Beekeeping Development Center, Bhandara, the district produced 450 metric tons of honey this year, down from 540 metric tons last year.
A total of 17,500 Mellifera bee colonies are being maintained in the district. Officials say the drop in production was caused by unseasonal rainfall. “Due to untimely rains, production of mustard and chiuri flowers has decreased,” Angai said.
Farmers who used to harvest honey from mustard flowers up to three times per season were able to harvest only up to two times this year. Similarly, chiuri honey, which was previously harvested up to five times, was harvested only three times this year. Although the number of bee colonies has increased, overall production has declined, he added.
In previous years, around 70 percent of beekeepers were able to extract honey up to six times, but due to unseasonal rainfall, only about 30 percent managed to do so this year. There are 450 commercial beekeepers in the district.
In Chitwan, about 80 percent of honey production comes from mustard and chiuri flowers. The remaining 20 percent is produced from sources such as rudilo, buckwheat, padke, and litchi, among others, Angai said.
