At the workshop (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The rate of ‘foreign’ honeybeespecies kept in Vietnam should be raised from 75 percent at present to 80percent in 2020 in order to increase the quality and productivity of honey,heard a conference in Hanoi on August 17.
Dr. Dinh Quyet Tam from the Vietnam Beekeepers Association pointedout that although Vietnam exports a large quantity of honey, the price of theproduct stands at only 1.22 EUR (1.4 USD) per kg, the lowest worldwide, ascompared with New Zealand’s honey price of 23.25 EUR per kg.
In 2017, Vietnam’s honey prices dropped sharply due to the lowerquality of its acacia flowers, falling global honey prices, and fiercercompetition. Besides this, Vietnamese honey has yet to establish its brand nameon the global market.
It is reported that each year, Vietnam produces more than55,000 tonnes of honey and over 1,000 tonnes of beeswax, with 85-90 percent ofthese products shipped abroad.
Vietnamese honey and beeswax are mainly exported to the US,European countries, and Japan.
According to the General Statistics Office, last year, thecountry had 1.2 million honeybeecolonies, mainly made from Italian and local species. The country ranks sixthglobally and second in Asia in terms of honey exports.
Tran Ngoc Lan, from the Department of Livestock Productionunder the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said beekeeping hasgenerated more jobs and contributed to poverty reduction for farmers,especially those in remote and mountainous areas.
However, over the past three years, the volume and value ofhoney exports shrunk remarkably, causing difficulties for both beekeepers andexporters. –VNA
VNA
