South beekeepers see good prospects this year provided illegal imports are halted

Beekeeping has grown to become one of the large sector in agriculture and a good contributor to the economy, employing some seven thousand beekeepers across Lebanon, mainly in the South. Workers in the industry, especially in the southern areas, have expressed optimism in a thriving honey season owing to high rainfall rates this year, contrary to last year’s draught which destroyed a large number of beehives. Muhammad Sha3aito who has worked in this field for almost two decades said that beekeeping is developing significantly with a growing number of beekeepers using modern technologies and regularly being training by local and international organizations. Similarly, Vice President of the Syndicate of Beekeepers in the South, Mohammad Haidar Hassan, indicated that drugs to control honey bee diseases and pest provided by the Ministry of Agriculture should become accessible to all beekeepers not only those included in the 2010 survey. He added that the number of beekeepers has grown considerably since 2010. “Not delivering the required drugs to the entire community of beekeepers will not ensure proper protection from diseases and pests.” Hassan revealed that Lebanon hosts more than 360 thousand beehives that produce hundreds of tons of honey per season, which are mostly consumed domestically. In this respect, he warned against unlawful completion and called for a halt to illegal imports. (As Safir, 7 April 2015)