A total of 1,330 tons of honey worth $2.5 million were exported from Iran to 22 countries during the first 10 months of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2022-Jan. 20), according to the head of the Agriculture and Food Industries Commission of Iran Chamber of Cooperatives, Arsalan Qasemi.
The exports stood at 1,800 tons worth $5.6 million in the last Iranian year (March 2021-22), he added.
China, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Germany, the UK, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iraq and Lebanon are among the main destinations of Iranian honey.
“Iran is the third biggest producer of honey in the world after China and Turkey,” he was quoted as saying by IRIB News, adding that there are no accurate statistics on Iran’s production volume.
According to the manager of Iran’s Beekeeping Development Plan, Touraj Saremi, Iran has signed a memorandum of understanding with China for the regular export of honey.
“In the first stage, 500 tons to 2,000 tons of honey will be exported to China, as we are planning to comply with the health protocols of this country,” he added.
Saremi noted that from August 3, 2022, to Oct. 23, 2022, a total of 2,700 tons of honey were exported from Iran to neighboring countries.
West Azarbaijan, East Azarbaijan and Ardabil top the list of Iranian provinces in terms of honey production.
According to CEO of Beekeeping Industry Expansion Support Fund Behzad Bankipour, over the past five to six years, Iran’s beekeeping industry has shifted its focus from producing only one main product, namely honey, to producing other bee secretions such as royal jelly and bee venom.
Per capita honey consumption in Iran stands at 1.3 kilogram per year.