Deputy Minister: Georgian Beekeepers Lack Knowledge of Producing Honey

By Tea Mariamidze

Thursday, April 11

Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture says Georgian beekeepers need to take into account state’s recommendations

Khatia Tsilosani says Georgian honey has quite a good potential on EU market if processed correctly.

Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture Khatia Tsilosani says Georgian beekeepers still lack knowledge of the process of producing honey, adding it creates problems while exporting Georgian honey to the European Union market.

“The main problem regarding the honey quality here is the wrong care of the bees and the honey-gathering procedures. I would like to ask all farmers to take into account the highest standards of food safety, "said Tsilosani.

She added that despite the fact that the Ministry is actively involved in raising awareness about the issue through various campaigns, including the antibiotics and other wastes in honey, there remain the same problems in the field yet.

“I hope the farmers will gradually take into consideration the recommendations that will positively affect the quality of honey,” deputy Minister added.

The EU Association and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area Agreements enable Georgia to export 1,500 tons of honey to EU markets every year. According to EU experts, honey has the best chance of making a hit in Europe but there are still some factors that hinder the process.

Also, the European Union has strict requirements related to honey testing. Identifying the level of antibiotics and pesticides in honey is the main requirement.

However, antibiotics are not the only problem. It takes a lot of money to arrange bee farms in line with EU technical regulations and requirements. Most beekeepers strain honey in aluminum or zinc centrifuges, which is strictly prohibited in the European Union. Honey producers do not have adequate storage containers either. As a rule, small quantities of honey are sold, preventing producers from accumulating revenues.

In late January 2019, the first batch of Georgian honey went to the EU market with the help of EU4Business Initiative, which brings together all EU programs assisting SME and private sector development in Georgia. EU4Business enables the private sector to take advantage of the opportunities offered by DCFTA, which gives Georgia access to a common market of 500 million consumers.