Türkiye expects to produce between 97,000 and 100,000 tons of honey this year, Agriculture and Forestry Minister İbrahim Yumaklı said on Sept. 4.
“We rank second in the world in honey production and continue to push for first place,” he told reporters after taking part in a honey harvest in İnceyol village in Sivas.
Türkiye has about 9 million beehives and accounts for 90 percent of the world’s pine honey production, he said.
Yumaklı said the country had 41 honey varieties with geographical indication status, including Zara honey.
Sivas ranks fourth among Türkiye’s honey-producing provinces, he added.
The ministry has published a map identifying areas suitable for beekeeping to help producers plan their activities, Yumaklı said.
It has also issued rules governing bee venom collection, which he said would provide an additional source of income.
The minister urged beekeepers to follow official fire warnings and avoid lighting bee smokers or other fires during hot, windy weather with low humidity.
He said these precautions should apply even when working far from forests.
