Over 90 tonnes mustard flower honey to be collected in Tangail

Alongside extensive mustard cultivation, apiculture has also become popular in Tangail and about 90 tonnes of honey is expected to be collected from hive boxes placed by the fields, said officials.

Beekeepers of all 12 upazilas of the district are busy now collecting honey from the hive boxes placed by the mustard fields. Due to honeybees pollinating the fields, the crop has also had a bumper yield making the farmers happy.

The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) advises the farmers on mustard cultivation alongside apiculture as part of their project to expand oil crop farming.

Rows of bee hive boxes can be seen installed by the currently blooming mustard fields. Beekeepers are also selling honey straight after collecting it.

According to the beekeepers, the price of honey has decreased in recent times. They said they are barely making any profit from selling honey as the production cost has increased significantly.

They added that due to unfavourable weather, bees in their hives are dying, reducing honey production.

Md Masum Billah of Bhai Bhai bee farm said he collects honey by setting up boxes next to mustard fields in different areas of Tangail.

“We collect about 20 maunds of honey per week from the 364 hive boxes that our farm has placed in several areas. I spend about Tk one lakh on my four workers’ living expenses,” he said.

He further said that he makes a profit of Tk 1.5 lakh per month during the mustard farming season. The bees are given sugary feed to keep them alive artificially during the six months between mustard farming seasons.

“I manage the farm with the advanced money received from the contracted companies. This reduces the amount of profit we can make,” Masum added.

The farm owner also said he plans to sell honey on his own from next year instead of signing a contract with companies.

Zahirul Islam Khokon, a bee farmer from Satkhira involved in apiculture for eight years, said they are getting less honey compared to last season.

“Not only are we collecting less honey, but the price is low too. While the prices of commodities have increased. We are hardly making any profit this year,” he said adding that he collected some five-six maunds of honey from his 40 hive boxes.

The farmers demanded the price of honey be increased.

Alamgir Hossain Alam, a farmer of Paikmuril village of Baghil union, said, his five bighas of mustard field has had a bumper yield due to the bee hive boxes placed beside it. He is satisfied with the result.

According to the district DAE, farmers of the district exceeded the mustard cultivation target of 52,000 hectares and planted the crop on 58,120 hectares of land. Mustard has been cultivated on about 7,500 hectares more than last year.

The DAE expects over 70,000 tonnes of mustard harvest this year from the district.

District DAE Deputy Director Ahsanul Bashar said Tangail ranks second in terms of national mustard production.

“About 20,000 bee hive boxes have been placed around the various mustard fields of the district. Our field officers are encouraging the farmers to let beekeepers place their boxes by the fields as apiculture also increases mustard production,” he said adding that due to the bees pollinating the flowers, yield increases by 20-30 per cent.

Ahsanul further said, “Mustard flower honey is as pure as it is delicious. As honey is a highly natural antibiotic, it is in high demand by various pharmaceutical companies and consumers.”

He added that they expect about 90 tonnes of honey to be collected from the district.