Tehran, Iran, August 29
Trend:
An official with Iran’s Animal Science Research Institute said the government has banned the import of queen bees in a bid to prevent the spread of pests and diseases in hives.
Naser Tajabadi said Iran relies on domestic queen bees, and is no longer importing them, ISNA news agency reported.
He added that it would help determine the epidemiology of bee viral infections and monitor honeybee colonies for viruses to prevent the spread of diseases.
Referring to the generation of Iranian honeybees, he said the Animal Science Research Institute is after genetic improvement of Iranian bees.
Since the start of the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 21), we have managed to get 7,345 queen bees, Tajabadi noted.
According to Iranian Deputy Agriculture Minister Hassan Rokni, 81,500 tons of honey were produced throughout Iran in the last fiscal year (ended March 20, 2018).
Rokni noted that per capita honey consumption in Iran stands at about 1 kg while the global annual average is 250-300 grams. About 75,000 people are active in Iran’s beekeeping industry.