Bees’ seasonal journey turns flowers into organic honey

ERZURUM

Anıl’s bees collect nectar from flowers at different altitudes during the approximately 3.5-month journey.

Savaş Anıl, a beekeeper in the high-altitude plateaus of Erzurum’s Çat district, produces organic honey by taking advantage of the region’s rich vegetation with support from the state.

The district’s beekeeping potential is enhanced by mountains reaching nearly 2,800 meters, different plant species blooming according to altitude and the absence of agricultural pesticides in production areas.

Anıl, who has practiced beekeeping, a family tradition, for 15 years in Kurbanlı neighborhood, turned to organic production five years ago after having his honey analyzed and examining its proline levels.

After applying to provincial and district agriculture and forestry directorates, Anıl received support for hives and organic production, as well as training. He obtained his certification and began producing organic honey in 2021.

Anıl now has 300 hives. He takes his bees to Hatay during the winter, then moves them to Elazığ in spring and eventually to Çat, following seasonal flowering.

His bees collect nectar from flowers at different altitudes during the approximately 3.5-month journey, and Anıl has now begun harvesting the honey. Anıl told state-run Anadolu Agency that he began organic honey production with state support.

He said analyses conducted before he switched to organic production showed proline levels between 1,200 and 1,350, which he described as a high value. He decided to move to organic production to make better use of these favorable characteristics.

“Organic honey absolutely contains no sugar or chemical pesticides. We protect our bees from these through natural methods. This means that the way a bee worked 200 years ago is the way it works today. We have also obtained the benefits of this,” Anıl said.

He added that bee breeds were also important for beekeepers and that they needed to work with breeds adapted to the region.

“We completed this first deficiency. We also used artificial insemination to preserve the breed. We have maintained breeds that can work among the flowers at an altitude of 2,200 meters. We have no extra costs. Whatever the bee takes from the flower, it brings to the honeycomb, and we simply extract it. We produce our honey using natural methods,” he said.

Anıl said he follows natural flowering from Hatay to Elazığ and then Çat until the harvest period.

“We migrate by following the flowers. Our aim here is to keep sugar away from the bees and feed them exclusively from nature. We come here in the first week of June and benefit from the nature of this area. For about 3.5 months, we wait for the harvest period without interfering, apart from routine operations. These bees are coming from a long journey. Wherever the flowers are, that is where the bees are,” he said.

Highlighting the diversity of plants in Çat, Anıl said the area had a rare natural environment with no agricultural pesticide activity.

“Our bees benefit from this. When one plant finishes blooming, another one begins. The mountains can reach altitudes of 2,800 meters. If there is one flower at a lower altitude, there is a different flower higher up. This adds layer upon layer of value to the honey produced here,” he said.