Bhangura beekeepers harvest honey in severe winter
Pabna Correspondent :
The Beekeepers at Bhangura Upazila of Pabna are collecting honey even in the severe winter. Due to the cold weather, honey production has declined slightly. Still, honey collection does not stop. The sun appears a little late. That’s when the bees come out of the boxes. Just like the turmeric festival across the field, bees fly in swarms to collect honey from mustard flowers.
A single farmer is keeping bees by placing one hundred to two hundred boxes in these fields. The bees collect honey all day and return to their boxes in the evening. It is said that an average of 15 to 20 maunds of honey is obtained from these farms every week.
On the spot, an LGED official named Enamul Hasan Tagor was seen purchasing 20 kg of honey from the Satbaria bee farm. Enamul Hasan said that he came from Dhaka to collect pure honey from these bee farms set up in mustard fields. He said that he bought honey at a price of 400 taka per kg.
There are at least 120 bee farms in Dilpashar and Khanmorich unions. The bee boxes and flies have been wrapped in polythene and burlap to protect them from the cold. Farmers Ramzan Ali, Golam Hossain and Sohag of Boro Pukuria village of Khanmorich union said that honey has been produced twice in the last month.
The first time, 8 maunds of honey were obtained from 150 bee boxes and the second time, 15 maunds of honey were obtained. Although honey is usually collected once a week, it is not possible due to the cold. This will reduce the production target slightly.
Upazila Agriculture Officer Sharmin Jahan said, there are more than a hundred bee farms in Bhangura Upazila for collecting mustard honey. Honey collection will continue as long as there are flowers in the field.
This season, there is a target of producing 20 metric tons of honey. However, production may be disrupted due to severe cold. In this case, the bee farm can continue until the end of January. Therefore, she advised that no farmer should apply pesticides to the land before the flowers fall.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Tapas Pal said, mustard honey is as delicious as its quality. Therefore, he has directed the Agriculture Department to cooperate with beekeepers this season. He also advised not to set up more than one bee farm within a kilometer.