Speaking in a convention to celebrate the World Bee Day in Iran's Karaj city on Thursday, Gholam-Hossein Tahmasebi, head of Iran’s Apiculture Society, called for increasing bee colonies and honey production in the country.
He noted that 111,000 tons of honey was produced in Iran in the Persian year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022) which saw 3,000 tons decrease compared to the year before, but the number of honeycombs increased to 11 million gaining Iran the fifth place in the world.
However, Iran has been ranked as 35th in the world in terms of average production performance at colony level, Tahmasebi said.
Iranians consume 1.313 kilograms per capita of honey on a yearly basis, he noted, adding that the figure is almost half of consumption per capita in advanced countries but is more than that of many developing countries.
He singled out the use of pesticide as the main reason for the decline in honeybee population, contrary to other species that the climate change is the main factor.
Tahmasebi who also heads the research department of Animal Science Research Institute of IRAN (ASRI) warned against overuse of pesticides in Iran which seriously threatens the population of bees in the country.
About 85 percent of pollination in agriculture is carried out by honeybees, he said, noting that this species play an import role in food security.
He said that honeybee product is not limited to honey, but it also includes other apicultural products like royal jelly, pollen, propolis, and honeybee poison.
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