Home ›› 03 Apr 2023 ›› Nation
The season of collecting honey from the Sundarbans has begun with an expected target of extracting 3,800 quintals.
The honey season was formally inaugurated by Sundarbans West Department Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, by collecting honey in Satkhira range area of the west Sundarbans on Saturday.
The West Department of the forest has distributed permission letters among the Moual (honey collectors) after the successful completion of honey collection training on the premises of the Government Primary School, adjacent to the Buri Goalini Forest Office.
According to Forest Department sources, honey extraction is allowed from April 1 every year but last year it was allowed from March 15. However, due to a lack of rain only a small amount of honey was collected.
“If there is not enough rain, the flowers fall off and the amount of honey in the flowers decreases. This year there have been several showers of rain in the monsoon month of March. So we are hopeful about an increased amount of honey,” Abu Naser said.
The DFO added that 60 boats received permission letters on Saturday to enter the Sundarbans. The remaining Moual will gradually enter the forest till June.
Besides, security measures have already been enhanced to ensure safe honey collection in the Sundarbans. He advised that the Moual should loiter carefully to protect themselves from the attack of wild animals like tigers, the DFO further added.
The patrolling of the Forest Department has been strengthened to collect honey in the Sundarbans without any hindrance and the collectors were advised to move carefully to protect themselves from the attack of wild animals.
According to the Forest Department, 1,012 permits were issued for the collection of honey and wax in 2021. Against the permits, 6,797 honey collectors went to the Sundarbans and collected 3,376.90 tonnes of honey and 113.09 tonnes of wax. The Forest Department earned Tk 25,64,363 as revenue from honey and Tk 10,25,850 from wax.
In 2022, the revenue from honey was Tk 36,93,600, and from wax, it was Tk 15,31,200. That year, 2,320 quintals of honey and 696 quintals of wax were found in the Sundarbans.
In 2020, some 3,227 quintals, in 2019 some 2,278 quintals, and in 2018 some 1,601 quintals of honey were collected.
Most of the honey is found in the Satkhira range of the Sundarbans. Last year, 404 boats were given permits in the Satkhira range and 1,449 quintals of honey and 434.70 quintals of wax were collected in this range. This year, a target of 3,000 quintals of honey and 800 quintals of wax has been set in the Sundarban West Forest Division.
On the first day, about 600 Moual went deep into the forest with 60 boat permits under the West range. Khulna Range’s Kashiabad Forest Office sources have informed this correspondent that passes will be given to Mouals of Khulna Range from April 2.
On the other hand, Chandpai and Sarankhola ranges comprise the Sundarbans East Forest Division. In the eastern forest division, the issuance of permits started on March 15, but no one from the Sharankhola range has taken the pass.
However, 34 boats received permits on Saturday under the Sharankhola range. Under Chandpai Range, from March 15 to March 31, about 150 Moual entered the Sundarbans on 15 boats.
In total, the forest department expects that 3,800 quintals of honey and 1,050 quintals of wax will be collected from the eastern and western forest divisions of Sundarbans this year.
According to the Mouals, the honey of Khalisha and Garan flowers is available at the beginning of the season. And towards the end, honey from Keora, Giyu and Chaila flowers is available.
The best and most expensive is honey from Khalisha flowers. Due to good bouts of rain at the beginning of this year, the Mouals are hoping to get good honey.
Moual Alek Uddin of Khulna’s Koyra upazila said, “All our preparations have been completed. I will get my permit within a day or two and go deep into the forest to collect honey.”
“We come back with the collected honey and re-stock our supply every 15 days. Last year I went for four collection trips and got about Tk 46,000 excluding expenses,” he added.
