Beekeeping in Metn is a viable activity helping to alleviate economic difficulties

The processing of honey helps generate a reasonable source of income for beekeepers in addition to its multiple uses and benefits to Lebanon’s environment and economy through enhancing bee pollinated flowers and therefore enriching the agricultural harvests. To elaborate on this subject, Al Diyar published an article based on a meeting with head of the Cooperative for Beekeepers in Qarnayel - Higher Metn area, Abdel Nasser Masri. The newspaper pointed out that the cooperative is one of very few associations active since its onset in 1987 to date. According to Masri, the number of beehives in the region beats 3500 with a production of some 40 tons of honey. He cited some of the services of the cooperative namely securing machinery to sort and wax honey, providing honey jars at very competitive prices, in addition to the provision of medications used in beekeeping and pest control. Masri also noted that the cooperative buys the produce from the beekeepers according to certain specifications, tests it in specialized laboratories and stores it in proper warehouses so as to be marketed in good condition. Masri said he believed the number of beekeepers in the Metn area is still limited, and to this end the cooperative is organizing semi-annual training workshops to encourage beekeeping. “Last year, we trained some 19 new beekeepers from both sexes,” he said. He also noted that the cooperative won more than one project from USAID in one of which 10 of its members participated, and which will produce some 750 beehives to be distributed by USAID to beneficiaries in rural areas. Masri clarified that these projects generates surplus income to beekeepers beside their revenues from selling honey, royal jelly and other products. He finally pointed out to one key problem beekeepers face and which is related to the usage of toxic pesticides that adversely affect the production of honey and can to totally eradicate it, thus incurring big losses on the industry. (Al Diyar, 29 April 2015)